Dr. Sreenivasa Prabhu N

Human male impotence is much more widespread than it was initially thought to be. Although erectile dysfunction can occur at a later age, it can affect younger men in passing as well. There are both psychological and physiological factors at play as well. While erectile dysfunction in most cases is a standalone condition, it could also be indicators of underlying health problems which need to be checked out first.

Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction:
The simple symptoms of erectile dysfunction tend to be physical manifestations such as:

1. Difficulty in getting an erection
2. Problems in keeping the erection for extended periods of time
3. General lack of desire for sex or low libido

However, these symptoms may be accompanied by other ones depending on what the root cause for this was. It is thus, also important to look at the causes along with the symptoms to shed more light on the underlying causes.

Causes of Erectile Dysfunction:
Human sexuality may seem mostly physical at a basic level but there are a lot of factors that are interconnected with it. When someone is sexually aroused, there are multiple systems such as muscles nerves, hormones, brain, and blood vessels among many others which are working simultaneously. Any one or multiple systems misfiring could result in erectile dysfunction.

Some of the Physical causes of erectile dysfunction are:

1. Blood pressure or hypertension
2. High blood sugar
3. High levels of LDL or bad cholesterol in your blood
4. Arteriosclerosis or the clogging of the arteries of your heart
5. Multiple sclerosis
6. Obesity related problems which may cause issues as mentioned above
7. Peyronie's disease, which is a condition where the penis may develop scar tissues inside it
8. Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption or use of drugs that may lead to the factors mentioned above
9. Injuries to the groin area
10. Surgery in the groin area such as the removal of prostate or other surgeries
11. Medication to treat other diseases which may have unintended effects and cause erectile dysfunction

Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction may include:

1. Inability to connect to your partner
2. Inhibitions or aversion to sex due to upbringing
3. Stress in life which may come from professional or personal quarters
4. Mental health issues like depression

Treatment: While there are many oral medication which are well known and famous, erectile dysfunction may be just a symptom in itself of bigger issues lurking underneath such as heart trouble or high blood pressure. While oral medications for getting an erection can be a temporary boost to your confidence, treating the underlying condition is much more important. This will automatically resolve erectile dysfunctions as well.