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| Understanding Erectile Dysfunction And Its Causes |
By:
Davis Marco |
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Erectile dysfunction or ED refers to the repeated inability of a man to get an erection or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It is sometimes also referred to as impotence; however, the term ‘impotence’ is also used to refer to other problems related to sexual intercourse and reproduction.
What It Means
Erectile dysfunction could mean any of these three things:
• Total inability to have an erection
• Inconsistent ability to have an erection
• Being able to only sustain brief erections
It is estimated that around 15 to 30 million American men are affected by erectile dysfunction. If you are under the impression that it only affects older men, you are wrong. It affects men in all age groups; however, it is more common in men older than 65 years of age.
Understanding The Causes
So what causes erectile dysfunction? To understand this let us first understand how an erection occurs. The penis contains two chambers which are known as corpora cavernosa. These chambers are filled with spongy tissue. Furthermore, they are surrounded by a membrane, known as the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains veins, spaces, fibrous tissues, smooth muscles and arteries. The urethra runs along the underside of these two chambers and is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum.
An erection begins when there is mental or sensory stimulation or both.
Impulses from the brain and local nerves make the two chambers relax. This allows blood to flow in and fill the spaces. As the blood fills up the spaces it creates pressure in the two chambers thus causing the penis to expand. The tunica albuginea, the membrane that surrounds the two chambers, traps the blood in the chambers thus causing a sustained erection. After a while the penis’ muscles contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels. This reverses the erection.
It is important to understand that erection requires a precise sequence of events. First, there should be nerve impulses in the brain which should travel through the spinal column to the area around the penis. You then have response in the muscles, fibrous tissues, veins and arteries in and near the two chambers.
Causes
When any event in this sequence is disrupted, it causes erectile dysfunction. Damage to the nerves, smooth muscles, arteries and fibrous tissues can cause ED. Kidney disease, diabetes, chronic alcoholism, vascular disease, neurological disease, and multiple sclerosis disease can cause ED. According to statistics, 35 to 50 percent of diabetic men have erectile dysfunction.
Those who smoke or are overweight can also suffer from ED. Sometimes common medicines like, antihistamines, antidepressants, appetite suppressants, cimetidine and blood pressure drugs can cause ED.
The treatment for erectile dysfunction depends on its cause. Therefore, understanding the causes of ED is very important in understanding the overall issue of ED.
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David Marco often writes on topic related to male sexual health, such as erectile dysfunction, generic Viagra, impotence, etc. You can read more of his articles on how to find cheap Viagra online and on online pharmacy. |
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