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Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as having difficulty with getting (or keeping) an erection. This condition can have many root causes, and can impact not only your sex life, but your overall quality of life. ED is typically thought of as something that affects aging men—but the truth is, it can happen to men of any age.
Although more than 87 million men—as much as one-quarter of the population—in the United States alone have been diagnosed with ED, it’s not a topic anyone is particularly eager to talk about or address, even though living with ED can be distressing on many levels. According to data released by the European Association of Urology in 2013, only 25 percent of those 87 million men sought treatment for their ED.
Why is erectile dysfunction so common? The answer may lie in the numerous causes of ED, some of which may surprise you. Let’s explore a few of these.
Medication
Sometimes, the cure for one problem can be the cause of another, and that is often the case with erectile dysfunction. Many drugs used to treat medical and psychological conditions—ranging from heart disease to depression—can affect blood flow in a way that doesn’t lend itself well to getting an erection or keeping an erection. A lot of men are baffled when they learn that the drug they take to treat their clinical depression, for example, is the source of their erectile dysfunction.
Porn overdose
When watching porn becomes a habit rather than an occasional indulgence, your brain may start to react to sexual stimuli in different ways. Relying on porn can impact the dopamine pathways in the brain (the neurological “risk-and-reward” center), essentially leading to porn addiction. A dependence on porn for sexual satisfaction can unfortunately lead to sexual dysfunction in real life, including ED.
Sexual performance anxiety
When you feel like you’re in the spotlight, you can freeze up. The pressure to perform—to get an erection and stay erect during a sexual experience—can lead to a cycle of anxiety that feeds itself and causes erectile dysfunction. This is because the failure to get and maintain an erection when you are engaging in sex can make you feel nervous, ashamed, inadequate, and a whole list of other negative emotions. These emotions can lead to a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy: “What if I can’t do it when the time comes?” Thoughts like these can lead to doubts. This cycle of anxiety causes stress—and stress can have an impact on blood flow to the genital area, leading to loss of erection or difficulty getting an erection. When sexual performance anxiety is at the root of your ED, seeing a therapist or using guided imagery therapy in private can help provide relief.
Pelvic floor issues
Pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to sexual disorders in men, including erectile dysfunction. While this is not shocking news, some of the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction are. Some of the things you do with the idea of health and wellness in mind—such as cycling or riding horses for fitness—could actually be contributing to your ED. If you think your ED might be related to undiagnosed pelvic floor issues and changing your workout routine to include forms of exercise that are kinder to the pelvic area doesn’t help, you should speak to your doctor about your concerns.
Job stress
While working hard may pay off in terms of money and financial security, it can also be very stressful—and stress can play a major role in contributing to ED. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers discovered that there was a link between workplace-related stress and male sexual difficulties. Making rest and relaxation a priority in order to reduce the effects of job stress can prove helpful in treating your ED.
Widower syndrome
When a long-term partner passes away, finding joy in love and sexuality again can be difficult, and interest in sex may decline. Those who do find a new partner may be shocked when they find themselves unable to get or keep an erection during a sexual experience with that partner. This phenomenon, known as “widower syndrome,” is based in the psyche, and often tied to feelings of guilt or self-doubt over having sex with a new person after a prior long-term partner’s death. Dealing with the conflicting emotions in therapy can be helpful for some men who have widower’s syndrome.
Oral health habits
One culprit responsible for causing erectile dysfunction that most people would never guess at is oral health. According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, men between the ages of 30 and 40 were more likely to have erectile dysfunction if they had periodontitis, a form of gum disease. Keeping good oral hygiene habits, such as flossing and brushing regularly, is one way to keep erectile dysfunction at bay. If you have periodontitis, getting treatment and maintaining good oral health could help to relieve your ED symptoms, as well.
Gastrointestinal problems
Gut health can also have an effect on erectile dysfunction. In a 2015 study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research, researchers found that men with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were more than twice as likely to have ED as their peers. Again, the connection between two seemingly unrelated body systems affecting each other may come as a surprise, but the good news is that it’s possible that treating the IBS could help to eliminate the erectile dysfunction, as well.
As you can see, there are a variety of reasons that ED can affect men of all ages—and not all of them are obvious. Not all ED is caused by aging or other physiological factors, either; the condition can also be rooted in the mind. Luckily, there are also many treatment options available for this condition, whether the cause is physiological or psychogenic. Something as simple as adjusting your diet, exercise routines, or even using guided imagery therapy to increase your sexual mindfulness and confidence, can help with overcoming ED and reclaiming your sex life as your own.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
Great article on erectile dysfunction. The male brain requires specific “messages” for him to get hard, then stay hard and in control. The reality is, that when a man’s mind is distracted with things unrelated to arousal then he will have problems achieving or maintaining a strong erection. ED can also be caused by too much focus on his partner.
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