The medical term for an erection problem is “erectile dysfunction”. ‘ve Also heard it called impotence. Erectile dysfunction occurs when the penis does not get enough hard (erect) to allow a man to have sexual activity. This happens because not enough blood to the penis to produce an erection, or blood in the penis permenece not long enough.
An erection is a complex process involving changes in the muscles, nerves and blood vessels in the penis. The blood is pumped into the penis to become firm, which usually begins when we think about sex and / or when we are stimulated. Sexual stimulation causes a signal travels through the nerves from the spinal cord to the genitals. The blood vessels that supply the penis dilate, so that the blood and the penis becomes enlarged.
About 40% of men over 40 suffer some degree of erectile dysfunction, so if you think you have it, you’re not alone. Some erection problems do not last long or happen often, but if they occur more often, can be a sign that you have erectile dysfunction.
In many cases, erectile dysfunction is caused by a combination of physical and psychological factors. It is important to a proper medical evaluation and that erectile dysfunction can be caused by an underlying physical illness, medication side effects, or be related to psychological issues.
Physical Causes
Vascular diseases:
Diabetes
Cardiovascular Disease
High blood pressure
Renal failure
Post-operative effects:
After prostate surgery, or lower bowel (rectum)
Other diseases:
Prostate Cancer
Neurological diseases, eg., Multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease
Trauma
Side effects of medications
A side effect of another drug
Psychological Causes
Stress
Emotional
If you have erectile dysfunction, is unlikely to go away by itself, so you should talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Talk to your doctor can help you identify and treat your erectile dysfunction, as well as other underlying factors that may be causing.
This section lists a number of diseases and how they can be responsible for erection problems. Men often resign themselves unnecessarily to erection problems as an inevitable part of a disease. If your sex life is important to you, read on to see how you can control the situation.