Over 40% of men over 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED) and its prevalence increases exponentially with age. What’s even more concerning is that because of the aging populations in the majority of counties, ED is predicted to reach such proportions that it will start affecting economies as people seek treatments.
The problem here is that there is no effective treatment for this condition because its cause is nearly impossible to determine exactly. While in some cases there is an easily diagnosed physiological cause, the majority of men suffering from ED develop this condition due to a combination of physiological and psychological factors.
With the cure unavailable, your best bet is prevention and to develop an effective strategy for it you’ll need to understand what might cause the condition. Then, you’ll need to deal with every factor individually to reduce your risks overall.
Psychological Factors That Affect ED
Psychological causes of ED are often underestimated and even undiagnosed. However, it’s the mental issues that might have more of an impact on the severity of the condition as well as the chance of effective treatment. You see, while you can get your blood vessels and circulation “fixed” physiologically, the mental blocks are invisible and will negate this medical success.
You also need to understand that while conditions like depression and anxiety, as well as other recognized mental disorders, can at least be diagnosed, there are other psychological issues that might cause ED.
For example, low self-esteem caused by dissatisfaction with one’s appearance is a common risk factor. This problem gets more severe if the source of one’s self-esteem issues has to do with genitalia. For men a common source of this distress is being unsatisfied with the size of their penis or some cosmetic blemishes they perceive as hideous, like scars. To resolve this kind of problems you’ll need to not only find a suitable fix for the issue causing your low self-esteem. But also get counseling to help rebuild your confidence.
Never forget that no issue is impossible to resolve. Even the matters of penis sizes can be resolved with modern technology and right treatments, more info on the subject is available here.
The most important thing is to understand that these are the issues that are causing your erectile problems. Bear in mind that ED itself will be ruining your confidence, thus making it harder to treat. Use this thought to boost your motivation. This is often the case where you truly can beat the disease if you believe in your own power to do it.
Possible Physiological Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
Most common health conditions associated with ED include:
- Hypogonadism and low testosterone
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular heart disease
- Prostate cancer (treatments for it also might cause ED)
- Injuries to the pelvic area
Note that a variety of medications might also lead to occasional bouts of erectile problems. There is also a high risk of developing these issues when the patient suffers from some major diseases, like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s.
But in general, the highest risk comes from the conditions that affect your circulatory system.
You also shouldn’t forget that some of your lifestyle choices will deeply affect your vascular health and therefore your ED risks. Smoking and drinking alcohol are the main offenders in this, but leading a sedentary lifestyle can be just as bad.
Therefore, if you want to prevent erectile dysfunction or deal with it if it does occur, you should start with changing your lifestyle. Then, get treatment for any possible health-related causes. And in the meantime, do some serious work on your self-confidence addressing any mental issues that might be stopping you from achieving success in your fight with ED.
