What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
In order to understand what causes erectile dysfunction (ED, or impotence), you must first know how an erection occurs.
Erection begins when a man becomes sexually stimulated. Whether the stimulation occurs through touch or thoughts, it will trigger a chemical reaction in the brain. For this chemical reaction to occur, your body must have a healthy balance of natural chemicals such as testosterone. The brain will then use the nervous system to send messages to the penis cells. The cells then release a chemical called nitric oxide, or NO, which is stored in cell membranes. When it is released, it makes cells dilate.
Once the cells in the penis dilate, blood comes flowing into them until they are engorged. This all can happen very quickly so a man's penis goes from limp to large and firm in just a matter of seconds. There are several tubes of spongy tissue in the penis. So much blood gets pumped into the penis that it actually puts pressure on the tube which normally carries blood out of the penis. The blood then gets trapped in the penis so erection can be maintained.
Your body will keep an erection so long as it receives the right signals from the brain and blood is pumping into the penis. However, it wouldn't be healthy for men to have a constant erection which is why the body has chemicals which work against erection. Of these, the most significant is PDE5. It is an enzyme which makes your penis cells contract so blood is pushed out of them and erection stops. ED drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis all work by blocking PDE5. These drugs do not help erections in any other way which is why you must be sexually stimulated to get an erection while taking them.
As you can see, getting an erection is a very complicated process. If you have a problem with any of the processes, then you may not be able to get an erection. Some of the most common causes of erectile dysfunction include:
Often, the best way to treat erectile dysfunction is to get yourself into shape. Start exercising, eat well, and make healthy lifestyle choices. This will improve all aspects of your body so you can improve erectile function on all fronts.
