Issues – Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is a serious medical condition in which a man cannot get or maintain an erection. Not only is this condition embarrassing and frustrating, it can pose a serious problem for a man who is attempting to conceive a child with his partner. But in order to fully understand this disorder, you must first have an understanding of what an erection is and why it is necessary for conception.

Very simply, an erection is when a man’s penis becomes stiff. However, the mechanics behind it are much more complex. The penis is comprised of two long chambers that run the length of the organ containing a maze of blood vessels; the urethra that is located under the chambers which is the pathway for urine and sperm; erectile tissue, two main arteries, nerves, and veins; the shaft which is the longest part of the penis; the head located at the end of the shaft; and the meatus that is the opening responsible for discharging semen and urine. When an erection occurs, blood rushes into the blood vessels contained within the two long chambers. This blood is then trapped under very high pressure causing the penis to become hard. Once the penis becomes hard and is stimulated via friction from sexual intercourse or masturbation, ejaculation will occur. Ejaculation the release of semen, containing sperm and is a reflex controlled by the central nervous system. This reflex is usually involuntary and once it has started cannot be stopped.

In order for sperm to be secreted an erection must occur first. If an erection cannot be achieved, sperm cannot be released and conception cannot take place. Therefore, erectile dysfunction is a serious problem for a man who is attempting to conceive. But what exactly is erectile dysfunction, what causes it, and how can it be treated? As previously mentioned, erectile dysfunction is when an erection can’t be achieved or maintained. The causes of ED can be either physical, psychological, or as the result of a disease.

Physical Causes:
Often the physical causes of ED are directly linked to the sequence of events (discussed above) that must occur in order for an erection to be achieved. If the nerve impulses in the brain, spine, and penis, and the responses of the nerves, fibrous tissue, and veins do not occur as required an erection will not happen.

Psychological Causes:
The brain plays a very large role in sexual arousal and erections. Things such as depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, low self esteem, fear of poor sexual performance, or any other problems related to your personal relationship such as lack of communication can all contribute to this problem.

Disease Related Causes: Many diseases can wreak havoc on the human body and unfortunately, this includes the sexual organs. Here are some of the most common diseases associated with ED:

Diabetes – This can cause nerve and artery damage resulting in difficulty getting an erection. It is estimated that between 35 and 50% of men with diabetes will also suffer from ED.

Kidney Disease – Changes in hormones, circulation, and nerve functioning are all common with this disease.

Vascular Disease – This is any type of disease that affects the blood vessels and circulation. Hypertension, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, for example are responsible for restricting blood flow to the heart and penis. This particular disease is responsible for 70% of all physically related causes of ED.

The good news is that ED is one of the easier fertility problems to treat. If you are suffering from a physical cause or disease related cause, treating the underlying problem will usually cure your ED. Surgery, medication, and / or acupuncture for the condition will many times heal the subsequent ED. Psychological causes can be a little more difficult to treat—and may require therapy. Of course there is always the little blue pill to help: Viagra!