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Erectile

Disfunction

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By The Mayo

Clinic Staff

January 18th, 2008

MAYOCLINIC.COM

__Part TWO of TWO

Physical causes

of erectile dysfunction

At one time,

doctors thought erectile

dysfunction was primarily

caused by psychological issues.

But this isn’t true.

While thoughts and emotions

always play a role in getting

an erection,

erectile dysfunction is usually

caused by something physical,

such as a chronic health

problem or the side effects

of a medication.

Sometimes a combination

of things causes

erectile dysfunction.

Common causes of

erectile dysfunction

include:

• Heart disease
• Clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• 
  

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Other causes of erectile

dysfunction include:

• Certain prescription
• medications
• Tobacco use
• Alcoholism and other
• forms of drug abuse
• Treatments for
• prostate cancer
• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Hormonal disorders such
• as low testosterone
• (hypogonadism)
• Peyronie’s disease
• Surgeries or injuries
• that affect the pelvic
• area or spinal cord
• 
  

In some cases,

erectile dysfunction is one

of the first signs of an

underlying medical problem.

Psychological causes

of erectile dysfunction

The brain plays a key role

in triggering the series of

physical events that cause

an erection,

beginning with feelings of

sexual excitement.

A number of things can interfere

with sexual feelings and lead to

– or worsen —

erectile dysfunction.

These can include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Poor communication
• or conflict with
• your partner

The physical and

psychological causes of

erectile dysfunction interact.

For instance,

a minor physical problem

that slows sexual response

may cause anxiety about

maintaining an erection.

The resulting anxiety can

worsen erectile dysfunction.

A variety of risk factors

can contribute to

erectile dysfunction.

They include:

• Getting older.
• As many as 80 percent
• of men 75 and older have
• erectile dysfunction.
• 
  
• Many men begin to
• notice changes in sexual
• function as they get older.
• 
  
• Erections may take
• longer to develop,
• may not be as rigid
• or may take more direct
• touch to the penis
• to occur.
• 
  
• But erectile dysfunction
• isn’t an inevitable
• consequence of normal
• aging.
• 
  
• Erectile dysfunction
• often occurs in older
• men mainly because
• they’re more likely to
• have underlying health
• conditions or take
• medications that interfere
• with erectile function.
• 
  
• Having a chronic
• health condition
• 
  
• Diseases of the lungs,
• liver, kidneys, heart,
• nerves, arteries or veins
• can lead to erectile
• dysfunction.
• 
  
• So can endocrine
• system disorders,
• particularly diabetes.
• 
  
• The accumulation of
• deposits (plaques) in
• your arteries
• (atherosclerosis) also
• can prevent adequate
• blood from entering
• your penis.
• 
  
• And in some men,
• erectile dysfunction
• may be caused by low
• levels of testosterone
• (male hypogonadism).
• 
  
• Taking certain
• medications
• 
  
• A wide range of drugs —
• including antidepressants,
• antihistamines and
• medications to treat high
• blood pressure, pain and
• prostate cancer —
• can cause erectile
• dysfunction by interfering
• with nerve impulses or
• blood flow to the penis.
• 
  
• Tranquilizers and
• sleeping aids also can
• pose a problem.
• 
  
• Certain surgeries
• or injuries
• 
  
• Damage to the nerves
• that control erections
• can cause erectile
• dysfunction.
• 
  
• This damage can occur
• if you injure your pelvic
• area or spinal cord.
• 
  
• Surgery to treat bladder,
• rectal or prostate cancer
• can increase your risk
• of erectile dysfunction.
• 
  
• Substance abuse
• Chronic use of alcohol,
• marijuana or other drugs
• often causes erectile
• dysfunction and
• decreased sexual drive.
• 
  
• Stress, anxiety
• or depression
• Other psychological
• conditions also contribute
• to some cases of
• erectile dysfunction.
• 
  
• Smoking
• 
  
• Smoking can cause
• erectile dysfunction
• because it restricts
• blood flow to veins
• and arteries.
• 
  
• Men who smoke
• cigarettes are much
• more likely to develop
• erectile dysfunction.
• 
  
• Obesity
• Men who are obese
• are much more likely
• to have erectile dysfunction
• than are men at
• a normal weight.
• 
  
• Metabolic
• syndrome
• This syndrome is
• characterized by belly fat,
• unhealthy cholesterol
• and triglyceride levels,
• high blood pressure,
• and insulin resistance.
• 
  
• Prolonged
• bicycling
• Over an extended period,
• pressure from a bicycle
• seat has been shown to
• compress nerves and
• blood flow to the penis,
• leading to temporary
• erectile dysfunction
• and penile numbness.

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