While you might feel uncomfortable talking about it, the fact is erectile dysfunction is super common and nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, approximately 52% of men will experience erectile dysfunction to some level, usually between the ages of 40-70.
Still, that doesn’t mean you have to live with it and understanding what causes erectile dysfunction can be the first steps to treating it.
Here, we’ll take you through some of the most common causes of erectile dysfunction and then offer some options to help you restore the warrior within.
Common causes of erectile dysfunction
Before we dive into the reasons we see why some men suffer from erectile dysfunction, we find it helpful to break the causes into three primary categories: physical, psychological, and lifestyle-related.
This is useful because while some physical causes might be outside of your control, certainly lifestyle changes are something any of us can manage and doing so might be enough to effectively treat erectile dysfunction.
Physical factors attributed to erectile dysfunction
- Vascular problems: Reduced blood flow to the penis can be caused by conditions like atherosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels), high blood pressure, or diabetes.
- Neurological conditions: Diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injuries can affect the nerves that control erections.
- Hormonal imbalances: Low testosterone levels can contribute to ED. Spoiler alert! We’ve got this one covered! Low T levels are our speciality and we offer our patients testosterone hormone replacement therapy to treat erectile dysfunction and maintain healthy testosterone levels. Not sure if your erectile dysfunction is caused by low T? Check out these signs of hormone deficiency.
- Medications: Some drugs, particularly those that affect blood pressure, can lead to ED as a side effect.
- Surgery or injury: Surgeries or injuries that affect the pelvic area, prostate, or spinal cord can result in ED.
Undetected or underlying medical conditions:
- Diabetes: Poorly controlled diabetes can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to ED.
- Heart disease: Conditions like coronary artery disease may reduce blood flow and contribute to ED.
- Kidney disease: Kidney problems can affect hormone levels and lead to ED.
These are just a few of the reasons why it’s so important to keep up with your routine physicals and report any changes or concerns to your healthcare provider as soon as they arise.
Psychological factors impacting erectile dysfunction
- Stress and anxiety: Understandably, high levels of stress and anxiety can make it difficult to achieve or maintain an erection.
- Depression: This mood disorder can affect sexual desire and performance, just as it can negatively impact other areas of your life, professionally and personally.
- Relationship issues: Problems within a relationship, such as communication difficulties or unresolved conflicts, can lead to ED. Remember, intimacy isn’t just physical. Without a strong emotional connection, some men struggle to perform. Speaking of…
- Performance anxiety: Worrying about sexual performance can cause temporary ED. Stop psyching yourself out!
Lifestyle factors associated with erectile dysfunction
- Smoking: In addition to all the health risks associated with smoking, tobacco use has also been attributed to an increased risk of ED due to its negative effects on blood vessels.
- Alcohol and drug abuse: Excessive consumption of alcohol and certain recreational drugs can contribute to ED.
- Obesity: Similar to the myriad health risks associated with smoking, being overweight or obese is linked to various health issues that can lead to ED, such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
- Lack of exercise: A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to obesity and other health problems that increase the risk of ED.
Individually, each one of these factors is considered a potential cause of erectile dysfunction; however, it’s often the result of a few factors represented by more than one of the categories above. Although there are ways to naturally increase testosterone levels, there are quicker routes to realizing faster results.
Trying to figure out what is causing your specific case of erectile dysfunction can be overwhelming and, well… frustrating. In order to get treatment for low T or erectile dysfunction, we encourage you to connect with our team to discuss the treatments available to you, including some exciting options like testosterone pellet therapy and peptides.
Don’t endure erectile dysfunction any longer. Contact us today for expert treatment you can trust!
