Impotence is when a man cannot achieve or
maintain an erection adequate for normal sexual intercourse. Erections are
a result of a complex combination of brain stimuli, blood vessel and nerve
function, and hormonal reactions. Any interference with any of these
factors may cause impotence. Things that can be a cause of impotence
include: alcohol,
smoking, sexually transmitted disease, medications, peripheral
vascular disease, diabetes,
high blood pressure, and chronic illness. Hormonal problems like
lowered levels of testosterone, higher prolactin production, either
over-or-underproduction of thyroid hormone, may all be causes of
impotence.
Diabetes, which often leads to
atherosclerosis and impaired blood circulation, is a very common
physical cause of impotence.
Impotence may be a chronic recurring problem, or be a single
isolated incident. Estimates indicate that over 30 million men in the USA
have at least occasional problems of impotence. Most of the men are over
40 years old. As many as 1 in 3 men over 60 years old is affected, however
men under 40 can also have problems.
Years ago it was thought that impotence was mainly a psychological
problem, "all in the head", but today it is believed that as many as 85%
of all impotence cases have some physical cause. The Association for Male
Sexual Dysfunction cites well over 200 drugs that maybe a cause of
impotence. These include: alcohol, anti-depressants, anti-histamines,
anti-hypertensives, diuretics, narcotics, nicotine, sedatives, stomach
acid drugs, and ulcer medications. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the
arteries, increases a risk to both the man's heart and his penis. People
today know both smoking and eating fatty foods cause plaque buildups that
clog arteries and block blood flow to the heart. Those plaques also block
arteries going to the male genitals, interfering with the man's ability to
get and maintain an erection. |