subject: Erectile dysfunction | Organic herbal ayurveda supplements no side effects [print this page] Erectile dysfunction (impotence) is the inability to get and keep an erection firm enough for sex. Erectile dysfunction, or ED, can be a total inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or a tendency to sustain only brief erections. These variations make defining Erectile Dysfunction and estimating its incidence difficult.
Having erection trouble from time to time isn't necessarily a cause for concern. But if erectile dysfunction is an ongoing problem, it may cause stress, cause relationship problems or affect your self-confidence.
Earlier in older men, Erectile Dysfunction usually had a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or side effects of drugs. But now a day even younger men are being diagnosed with physical causes due to bad life styles, sitting jobs, bad dietary habits and dug addictions etc.
In addition to this any disorder that causes injury to the nerves or impairs blood flow in the penis has the potential to cause Erectile Dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction can be attributed to various reasons like diabetes, age factor, medical condition, side effects of illicit drugs, stress, performance anxiety, cardiac problems, psychological factors etc.
Between 35 and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience ED Lifestyle choices that contribute to heart disease and vascular problems also raise the risk of Erectile Dysfunction.
The main causes include:
Diabetes (high blood sugar)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
Stress, anxiety or depression
Alcohol, smoking and tobacco use
Some prescription medications, such as antidepressants, pain medicine and medicine for high blood pressure
Fatigue
Brain or spinal-cord injuries
Stroke
Some types of prostate or bladder surgery
HOW DOES ERECTION OCCUR
Erectile dysfunction can occur at any age, but it is more common in men older than 75. Erection begins with sexual stimulation. Sexual stimulation can be tactile (for example, by touching the penis), or mental (for example, by having sexual fantasies).
Sexual stimulation generates electrical impulses along the nerves going to the penis and causes the nerves to release nitric oxide, which in turn increases the production of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in the smooth muscle cells of the corpora cavernosa.
The cGMP causes the smooth muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, and allow rapid blood flow into the penis. The in-coming blood fills the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand.