If you find it difficult to get or maintain a firm erection during sexual intercourse, it means that you have erectile dysfunction. It is a major sexual problem among men. They and their partners cannot get complete sexual satisfaction due to this problem. However, there is no need to worry as you can consult a sexual problem specialist for effective treatment.
Causes
There is a combined involvement of the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels in the sexual arousal of a man. If there is a problem with any of these, there can be erectile dysfunction. The causes of erectile dysfunction are different physical and psychological factors.
Physical causes
Some physical causes of erectile dysfunction are:
- Atherosclerosis (clogged blood vessels)
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Peyronie’s disease
- Sleep disorders
- Treatment for prostate cancer or enlarged prostate
- Surgeries or injuries affecting the pelvic area or spinal cord
Psychological causes
According to the best sexologist in Kolkata, there are also some psychological causes behind erectile dysfunction. The following are some of them:
- Stress:
If there is stress due to job, money or any other issues, it can lead to erectile dysfunction.
- Anxiety:
A man may start worrying that he may have erectile dysfunction a number of times in the future if he once faces this problem. This can induce a fear of sexual failure in him, which ultimately leads to actual instances of erectile dysfunction.
- Depression:
There are physical and psychological effects of depression on a man. This often leads to erectile dysfunction and sometimes the drugs prescribed for depression can also cause this problem.
Risk Factors
There are some factors that increase your risk of having Erectile Dysfunction. These include:
- Smoking:
Your risk of hardening of the arteries increases if you have the habit of smoking. The blood flow to the penis gets reduced due to this and you have difficulty in getting an erection.
- Being overweight:
You will suffer from blood vessel disease if you become overweight. This disease can lead to erectile dysfunction
- Inactive lifestyle:
Try to live an active life if you want to avoid erectile dysfunction. You will have no problem in getting an erection if you regularly do exercise.
- Poorly managed diabetes:
There can be an impact of diabetes on the blood flow to your penis. You must take your prescribed medicines, maintain a healthy diet and do regular exercise.
- High cholesterol:
If you have high cholesterol, it can damage the lining of your blood vessels, including those in the penis. It can also have adverse effects on the arteries leading to your genitals. Eat proper food, do regular exercise and take your medicines.
- Alcohol consumption:
It could be affecting your ability to getting an erection if you have more than two drinks per day. The blood flow to the penis gets restricted due to alcohol and it also hampers the production of testosterone. Your desire and sexual performance can be affected by low testosterone.