ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
Erectile dysfunction or loss of erection and virility is generally the symptom of old age or ageing in middle-aged people due to their unhealthy life style. Millions of people worldwide suffer from this syndrome. About 5% of those people in their 40’s will experience this condition while a quarter of people in their mid-60’s will experience this condition in their lifetime.
Erection process is simple. When you stimulate yourself, the signal allows blood to flow into your penis and dilate the arteries, allowing the tissues to engorge with a large amount of blood into it. This is the sign of manhood and virility, unfortunately those who lose or cannot sustain erection feel dejected, ashamed, or even worried about this condition.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the cause of some abnormality or malfunction in the male’s body or mind. ED is the alarm to these internal problems.
Since erection is about healthy arteries filling up with large amount of blood in the penis, with unhealthy lifestyle, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, hardening of the arteries, and veins, this condition deteriorates. With these conditions, the blood flow to the penis is restricted leading to poor erection quality or no erection at all. Good news is, this condition is reversible, and with a healthy program, it can be cured. You will learn about this in later chapters.
As I said, man is a complex being, hence, to diagnose the problem several tests have to be done to determine the exact cause of this symptom. These tests may be;
Blood tests: hormone level, cholesterol profile,
Sensory test: measurement of the strength of the nerve impulses.
Vascular test: checking for the blood flow to the penis and for any blockage in the penile arteries and veins.
Nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity testing: monitoring the erection during sleep in order to determine if the symptom is physiological or psychological.
To maintain a healthy erection there are certain requirements, a normal nervous system that sends impulses to the brain, spinal column and the penis. Second, a healthy arteries and veins that may carry blood supply to the penis. Third, normal, healthy and smooth muscles and fibrous tissues of the penis, with a normal level of nitric oxide in the penis.
In the earlier chapters, the causes of sexual problems were discussed in details. However, it is once again discussed specifically for ED:
Ageing: As we age we go through life’s several problems which gradually distracts us from activities like sex. Besides, the years of self-abuse in the form of drinking, smoking and other unhealthy lifestyle leads us to diseases which ultimately tell upon our sex life. Finally, with age there is a decline in testosterone level and nitric oxide in the body. All these factors account for a low sex drive in older men.
Diabetes: Diabetic neuropathy causes the damage of sensory as well as autonomic nerves. Narrowing of the arteries with poor blood supply to the penis is another diabetic condition for low sex drive in men. Diabetes also weakens the muscles in the body. It causes myopathy in diabetic men leading to loss of muscle in the penile region and the cause of ED.
Hypertension: Narrowing of the arteries, leading to high blood pressure is also the cause of ED. It may be that nitric oxide level in the body diminishes with this condition causing ED.
Poor cardiac condition: Narrowing of the arteries in the body leading to poor blood supply and hypertension is one of the basic causes of ED. When coronary arteries narrow down or get blocked heart attack or angina pectoris occurs. When arteries to the brain (cerebral) get narrowed, stroke happens. In the same way when arteries of the penile region get narrowed, it cannot send blood supply to the penis causing ED.
Spinal cord injury: Injury to the spinal column or to the nerves may cause ED. This is due to several reasons like surgery, accidents, or radiation.
Medication: Sometimes medicines are a great killer. Even if it does not kill you completely, it causes severe side effects leading to ED. So if you are on certain drugs and medicines, seek your doctor’s advice, if it may dampen your sex drive or cause ED.
Depression/anxiety or excitement: All are certain to cause ED. It may be temporary, but such conditions causes ED. Along with the condition, if medication is in progress, ED gets worse or it may also cause ejaculation problem.
Poor lifestyle, habits like alcohol, smoking, late night, drugs, and all sorts of stress and anxiety are the major cause of ED in men. When you visit the doctor, the first thing, apart from medication, he would advise you are to correct your ways. Please go back to the earlier chapter “Spirituality in successful sex” to get a deeper knowledge in self-abuse and ED.
I know people, who go on dates and before even they propose to each other, start thinking about having sex, the man wonders if he will have an erection or if he will ejaculate prematurely. Because the date is ultimately based upon landing in bed, the mind is programmed to think this way. Many people think this way and they land up having a temporary ED. Men make this big mistake before having sex. Breathing is as part of our life as erection; it comes spontaneously. If you are healthy and normal and if you had an erection in the morning, then why should you not have an erection in the evening? What you need is, to focus on the pleasure of your partner and not if you are going to have an erection or premature ejaculation. If intimacy and pleasure is present, erection will follow on its own!
Another way to excite yourself is an oral stimulation of the clitoris. Your partner may experience several orgasms, thereby making you feel comfortable in her presence. Your erection may be normal.
Sometimes in our life we encounter this experience similar to ED. This does not mean we are suffering from ED, far from it. Sometimes, worry, stress, or not being 100% of oneself causes these temporary phases in one’s life. It passes by the next day and we are normal again. So, for every little sexual inability occasionally, please do not panic or run to your doctor. Try to calm yourself, reason it out, and give yourself sometime to recover. Hopefully, all will be well in the next morning.
Treatment for ED will come in later chapter.