What is it
Male sexual impotence or erectile dysfunction is the persistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection that allows a satisfactory sexual relationship .
It must be differentiated from other sexual problems, such as lack of desire, alterations of ejaculation (premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation and absence of ejaculation) or disorders of orgasm.
Impotence or erectile dysfunction is a common disease that if left untreated can affect relationships with the couple, the family, the work and social environment. All men can have problems getting an erection in their life, especially if they are tired, have stress, a serious illness or are under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Causes
Impotence or erectile dysfunction can be caused by:
Psychological causes
In these cases, the penis does not present any physical alteration, however, diseases such as anxiety (often caused by the fear of not getting an erection or to disappoint the woman), depression , problems with the couple and even stress They can affect the sexual act.
Also the excessive concern for work, social or family problems mean that the necessary attention is not devoted to the sexual act. Fatigue, lack of appetite, lack of exercise, insomnia or a job failure also unbalance sexual reflexes.
Vascular causes
This guy is very usual. The penis can not accumulate the blood necessary for an erection, usually because it does not arrive in sufficient quantity. Smoking , high blood pressure , diabetes , some heart diseases and increased levels of cholesterol in the blood can cause vascular disorders that hamper the erection.
Neurological causes
In these cases there is an interruption in the transfer of messages from the brain to the penis because there is a lesion in the nerves involved. This occurs with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis or after some surgical procedures in the pelvis.
Hormonal causes
They are rare. They are usually due to a lack of male sex hormones .
Pharmacological causes
There are several medications that have as a side effect decrease the ability to have an erection. Among them are some drugs to treat hypertension, heart disease and psychiatric disorders.
Symptom
The main symptom of erectile dysfunction is a change in the quality of erection , both in terms of stiffness and in the ability to maintain an erection.
If the impotence is caused by physical causes, one of the main indicators in the inability to have or maintain an erection when waking up in the morning .
On the other hand, if it originates from psychological causes, impotence usually occurs during a specific period of time (as long as the stress situation lasts, for example). If it persists for more than three months, the patient should seek a urologist specialized in impotence.
Prevention
The main measure that men should take into account to avoid the appearance of erectile dysfunction is the modification of lifestyle to avoid any habit that negatively affects the arteries and veins, such as smoking, alcohol and saturated fat consumption, sedentary life and stress.
Types
Currently, some experts establish the following classification to distinguish the different types of impotence:
Leve / Moderate / Grave