Suffering from erectile dysfunction? Read more about some of the lesser known causes behind impotence, and how to find the right treatment for you.
More commonly known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is an extremely frustrating and sensitive issue for many men. Whether the condition has been caused by psychological factors such as stress and anxiety, or by hormonal imbalances, the problem can get worse overtime and have a significant impact on sufferers’ sex lives.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Though there are only a few symptoms, erectile dysfunction can differ significantly between sufferers. While some men will be unable to achieve an erection at all, others will, but they will only be able to sustain a full erection for a short period of time. Some may suffer from impotence every time they wish to have sex, and others will only experience erectile dysfunction some of the time.
It can have any number of causes, from psychological to hormonal. Read more about some of the most surprising known causes, and how the right erectile dysfunction pills can help you.
1. Poor Oral Hygiene
When we do not practice good oral hygiene, a buildup of plaque around the teeth and gums can lead to a condition called periodontal disease — more commonly known as gum disease. While it may seem as though there can be little connecting your oral health to your sexual health, there is a wealth of evidence demonstrating how a decrease in nitric oxide within the blood (often caused by periodontitis) can make it more difficult for the blood vessels in the penis to relax. In turn, this makes it difficult for the extra blood to flow into the penis, making it much harder to achieve and sustain an erection.
Visiting the dentist regularly, remembering to brush and floss twice a day, and taking one of the best erectile dysfunction treatments available such as Viagra (sildenafil), Cialis, Levitra or Spedra can help to solve issues with impotence.
2. Sleep Apnea
By far the most common form of sleep apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) causes sufferers to temporarily stop breathing during the night due to obstructions within the airway. Interrupted breathing causes a significant drop in the amount of oxygen within the blood, and a lack of good quality sleep may also have a negative impact on testosterone production. Since both factors are important to sustaining an erection, it is not surprising that, in a recent survey, around 63% of men with OSA also suffered from erectile dysfunction.
3. Stress
When suffering from stress, many of us are used to experiencing the psychological symptoms, such as irritability, worry, anxiety and anger. It can be easy to forget that stress can have any number of physical effects on the body, from hair loss to digestive issues and — you guessed it — erectile dysfunction.
It is a common misconception that stress simply poses too great a distraction to achieve an erection. Rather, stress prompts the body to release the stress hormone known as cortisol, which works to divert energy from any non-essential bodily functions. This is the cause behind many of the physical symptoms of stress, including erectile dysfunction.
Addressing the root cause of the issue, and trialing erectile dysfunction treatments to find the right option for you, will help you to regain confidence in your sex life.
4. Smoking
Over the past seventy years, the myriad dangers of smoking cigarettes and cigars have been conveyed to the public. From lung cancer to strokes and heart attacks, we are all well aware of the threat smoking poses to our health and wellbeing, as well as our life expectancies. It is, however, easier to understand the issues that arise within the pulmonary and cardiovascular system as a result of smoking, than it is to understand the effect it can have on the rest of our bodies.
Smoking can deplete the amount of nitric oxide within the body. Nitric oxide is naturally occurring and serves the function of widening our blood vessels and increasing circulation. If you are suffering from insufficient levels of nitric oxide, then it can be incredibly difficult for a man of any age to achieve — and maintain — an erection.
5. Performance Anxiety
Whether or not someone has suffered from erectile dysfunction in the past, many men can experience negative thoughts over their ability to perform well sexually, and to please their sexual partners. These feelings can result in premature ejaculation or, alternatively, erectile dysfunction.
In cases such as these, a mental block can be as powerful as a physical block, and simply ignoring the issue — or hoping that it goes away by itself — can do little to help the sufferer overcome problems with their sex life. Erectile dysfunction treatments can provide excellent support for the physical issue, providing a much-needed boost to the confidence of those suffering from performance anxiety.
Many men find that erectile dysfunction treatments can help them to overcome the barriers of performance anxiety and enjoy their sex lives again.
