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What is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction or ED is when you have problems getting an erection or you can’t keep an erection for long enough to have sex. This is not unusual, but it can affect your sex life. Here I talk about why this may happen.
What causes erectile dysfunction (ED)?
There are many reasons why you might have trouble getting an erection during sex. When you are unable to get an erection, this is called erectile dysfunction (ED). It may also be called impotence. While erectile dysfunction becomes more common with age, it can happen at any age. Erection problems may be linked to low testosterone levels or conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes which affect blood flow to the penis. ED could also be a side effect following surgery or operation on your pelvic area. Other things putting you at risk of ED are:
- being obese
- drinking heavily
- smoking
- drug misuse
ED could also be linked to your mental health. Stress, depression, and anxiety can make it harder for you to get an erection. ED can also happen if you aren’t able to feel aroused or have problems with intimacy. And having poor sleep may also cause ED.
While exercise is good for encouraging blood flow to the penis, cycling more than three hours a week has also been linked to ED. This may be because sitting on a saddle can cause nerve damage. But, there needs to be more research to confirm this.
How does erectile dysfunction (ED) go away?
If you are worried about erectile dysfunction (ED), don’t feel embarrassed to seek help. A doctor can help you and your partner find out what’s going on. They’ll ask about your medical history to see if your ED is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or low hormone levels. They may need to do tests to confirm this. They will also ask about any relationship or emotional problems.
They may give you advice on your lifestyle to help your ED or conditions linked to ED such as:
- reducing smoking
- drinking less alcohol
- losing weight
- improving your diet
- exercising more
- improving your sleep
- reducing stress
If you cycle more than three hours a week, you might be advised to stop for a while to see if this helps with getting erections. However, if you’d rather not stop cycling, it might help to get a properly fitted seat or change the position you sit on the seat.
If your ED is not related to a physical issue it may be because of psychological reasons, for example stress, anxiety or depression. If so, your doctor will advise that you visit a mental health service such as psychosexual therapy or counselling.
Can erectile dysfunction (ED) be cured with medication?
To treat erectile dysfunction (ED), your doctor can prescribe medicine to help you get an erection. One medicine you might have heard of is Viagra (Sildenafil)- this is one of a type of medicine called a PDE-5 inhibitor. You can get Viagra without a prescription. However, for other PDE-5 inhibitors, you’ll need a prescription. You should follow your doctor’s advice on which PDE-5 inhibitor is best for your ED. These are pills which you take before you have sex. Depending on which one you’re taking, it can take at least 15 to 30 minutes to take effect.
Your ED is most likely to get better by both lifestyle changes such as reducing smoking and drinking as well as drug treatment. Remember that ED is not an unusual problem, and by talking to a doctor you can help both you and your partner.
Is it normal to have erectile dysfunction? words to make any man nervous. so let's say ED, that's a bit easier isn't it?
ED is most likely to affect older men over half of men aged over 40, but as being increasingly seen in younger men too.
So it's not unusual. It's actually just usual.
However, you're probably still thinking what's going on?
It's true that physical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure can affect blood flow to the penis and cause ED, but it could also be a side effect from recent or current treatment or following an operation.
But ED is increasingly affecting men for mental health reasons, even young men in their late teens and early twenties.
Sometimes ED may happen because he feels stressed, anxious, or depressed, even if ED is caused by something else, having it may bring on mental health issues like these.
And sometimes these worries can lead to a downward spiral. The more you worry the worst, the ED problem becomes another potential cause of ED.
And in fact, the most discussed topic, online is porn, porn can create a detachment from real life sexual arousal and may result in what's more commonly referred to as porn induced, erectile dysfunction or PIED.
It's thoughts, your body becomes reliant on the hyperstimulation you get from watching internet porn to the point where the real thing is no longer meeting the high level of expectation.
And before you know it, you go from taking longer to get an erection, to not getting one at all.
And what about your partner? Online insight tells us that ED affects both men and their partners self-esteem, but in different ways, men who have ED will often base their self-worth and their ability to perform.
Whilst their partners will have negative thoughts about their body image. But it doesn't have to go unspoken about Bupa are here to offer advice and guidance on a range of topics that can help guide you to the next step.
If you think mental health issues could be the cause of your ED, then we can help think Bupa whenever you have a health concern, whatever's on your mind it's normal to us.
Are you interested in learning more about your health? Discover more about our range of health assessments.
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Sources Sources
- Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Patient. patient.info, last edited March 2022
- Erectile dysfunction. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk, last revised July 2020
- Erectile dysfunction. BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last reviewed December 2022
- Erectile dysfunction. Oxford Handbook of General Practice (5 ed online). Oxford Academic. academic.oup.com, published June 2020
- Personal communication Dr Luke Powles. Clinical Director Clinical Director, Health Clinics Bupa Global and UK, February 2023
- Sildenafil. British National Formulary. bnf.nice.org.uk, last accessed January 2023
- Tadalafil. British National Formulary. bnf.nice.org.uk, last accessed January 2023
- Vardenafil. British National Formulary. bnf.nice.org.uk, last accessed January 2023
- Avanafil. British National Formulary. bnf.nice.org.uk, last accessed January 2023
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