Erectile Dysfunction: Statistics and Anatomy
According to Canadian Family Pharmacy erectile dysfunction problem ticklishness makes many men keep quiet about their disease, avoiding visiting a doctor. However, in this situation it is necessary to take into account that delicate situation appearance can only be the tip of the iceberg, which hides the pathologies of cardiovascular system or diabetes mellitus.
Erectile dysfunction to some extent occurs in 110 million men. Men at the age of 40 account for 5% of the total, for the age of 60 years – 15-25%. Often, erectile dysfunction is called impotence. However, such a definition is not entirely correct. Impotence is the old term for erectile dysfunction. This degree of disease occurs in 10% of men who have reached the age of 40-70 years. For moderate erectile dysfunction it is accounted for 25%, the minimum – 17%.
Before you determine erectile dysfunction causes and treatment methods, it is worth considering erection process. Erection occurs due to blood filling of penile cavernous bodies. This mechanism is regulated by blood vessels, nerves and brain. Physical stimulation of penis or erotic thoughts activate a special brain area, which is responsible for libido. The brain sends a signal to nerves about need to provide increased arterial blood flow. In process of erection, central nervous system, peripheral nerve fibers, arteries, veins and muscle fibers are involved. The appearance of violations in performance of one of the links entails erectile dysfunction.
Incomplete list of factors that form a risk group includes:
- prostatitis;
- sugar hypothyroidism;
- atherosclerosis;
- hypertension;
- diabetes;
- obesity;
- smoking;
- alcohol abuse;
- neuropsychic stress.
Erectile Dysfunction Symptoms
To identify the need to see a doctor, you can independently, by answering a number of questions:
- Do you have a morning (night) erection?
- Attempts to have sex with a partner are always crowned with success?
- Are there erections when masturbating?
Problems with Erection
If this list of questions received negative answers, it’s time to think about visiting a doctor and discovering true erectile dysfunction causes. It is worth noting that the presence of moderate erectile dysfunction does not prevent sexual intercourse and orgasm.
If difficulties arise only under certain conditions, for example, during alcohol intoxication, there is no cause for concern.
The presence of morning and night erections is a sign of no violations. The presence of erection is guaranteed by a number of requirements, among which:
- a healthy nervous system;
- healthy arteries of penile cavernous bodies;
- sufficient level of nitric oxide in penile tissues;
- holistic penile musculature.
Erectile Dysfunction Causes
Symptoms of erectile dysfunction are often found in older men and there are two explanations for this. The first is presence of vascular diseases, including angina and hypertension. The second is the age-related decrease in elasticity of cavernous bodies and decrease in nitric oxide concentration.
As statistics show, in presence of diabetes, erectile dysfunction occurs 10-15 years earlier due to early arteriosclerosis manifestations.
Most cardiovascular diseases are based on atherosclerosis. In arteries, plaques of cholesterol, calcium and connective tissue are formed, which, with increasing their number, disrupt blood supply.
Lerish’s syndrome assumes plaques presence in iliac vessels, from which the arteries move to penis, as a result impotence develops. The cause of lack of erection can be found in damage to nerves and spinal cord, which often occur after performing operations on prostate gland.