Dean Leeks

Causes for erectile dysfunction

There are numerous causes for erectile dysfunction and these usually appear in combination with each other. In young men the cause is most often psychological. With increasing age, however, the physical factors increase.

The psyche, or the mind, is often unjustifiably the scapegoat.
Generally, physical causes lead to about 70% of all cases of impotence. Experts focus on erectile dysfunction as a first warning for serious diseases such as:

  • Cardiovascular problems
    Vascular disease, especially arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and damaged veins and arteries resulting from diabetes.
  • Diseases of the nervous system
    Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis as well as damage to individual nerves of the nether regions can lead to impotence. Diabetes is often the cause but alcoholism can also damage nerves and lead to erectile dysfunction.
  • Surgical procedures
    Pelvic operations (such as prostate surgery, for example) can have a negative affect on a man’s virility.
  • Diseases of the penis
    An erection results from a congestion of blood in the spongy body of the penis. The resulting swelling presses the smaller veins together and prevents the flow of blood from the penis. In some men, this mechanism is disturbed and, while the flood flows easily into the penis during arousal, it also flows back out just as easily. This condition is the most common of the physical causes for impotence.
  • Psychological/emotional problems
    Depression can lead to a lack of sexual desire. Psychological problems are more likely to affect young men.

The type of erectile dysfunction can indicate whether emotional or physical problems are the underlying cause. When it happens that, for example, a flaccid penis prevents intercourse in the night but the next morning the usual morning erection can be witnessed, it can be assumed that emotional problems are at the root of the sexual difficulties.

In a healthy man, erections occur during the deep sleep phase. These can be determined by asking one’s partner or using a measuring device. In these cases erectile dysfunction most likely does not have physical causes. An easy way to tell whether an erection occurs during sleep is to stick a row of connected stamps around the penis. If these connections are broken by the next morning, it is quite clear that an erection had taken place and that psychological issues are causing the problems in achieving an erection.