Medical Information

What are the causes of impotence and erectile dysfunction?

Historically, when an individual consulted his physician concerning sexual/erectile dysfunction he was usually informed there were no known physiological answers concerning his condition. Today, a generation of men's erectile dysfunction and impotence research has resulted in significant advances in both the diagnosis and treatment of men's sexual dysfunction. Physicians now understand that approximately eighty-five percent of erectile dysfunction and impotence causes are attributable to physical/organic conditions while only fifteen percent of male impotence problems are due to psychological or mixed origin (both psychological and organic).

The ability to achieve and sustain erections require:

1. A healthy nervous system that conducts nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and penis,
2. Healthy arteries in and near the corpora cavernosa,
3. Healthy smooth muscles and fibrous tissues within the corpora cavernosa, and
4. Adequate levels of nitric oxide in the penis.

Erectile dysfunction can occur if one or more of these requirements are not met. The causes of impotence include:

• Aging
• Diabetes mellitus
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Cigarette smoking
• Nerve or spinal cord damage
• Substance abuse
• Radical Pelvic Surgery
• Low testosterone levels
• Medications
• Psychological health issue

 

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What is impotence or erectile dysfunction?