Erecticle Dysfunction: Had Any Phenomenal Hard-ons Lately?

Just like how the church avoids topics on child abuse or how women think it is inappropriate to discuss about yeast infection of the vagina, men do not talk about impotence. Also known as erectile dysfunction, impotence is generally considered to be shameful and has been a topic subjected to the culture of silence. How do you characterize impotence/ erectile dysfunction? Its hallmark symptom is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis that is sufficient to pleasure the opposite sex during sexual intercourse. To have an erection, one is required to have normal, integrative functions of the nerves, blood vessels, muscles and brain. Impotence, contrary to what many think, is not just a physiological problem, it is a psychological one too. 

In many cultures, the ability to spread one’s seed is closely associated to success, masculinity and potency. An inability to do so renders the man useless in the eyes of such communities. How society view impotence says a lot about how the very same people view masculinity, its responsibility and their depth of understanding on coitus and its causes and remedies (which really is quite limited). Impotence isn’t a disease. It isn’t a joke either. It’s not cause of bad luck and it definitely isn’t life’s greatest tragedy. Impotence is experienced by 150 million men worldwide. According to surveys, one in ten men is bound to experience impotency at some point of their lives. So, really, there’s nothing to be shame about. The man sitting in the next office is probably experiencing the same thing as you are.

Erection is a hydraulic mechanism that allows the blood being channeled into the penis and being maintained there. As with a functional reproductive male organ, obtaining full erections at times, such as during sleep is normal. However, the dearth of nocturnal hard-ons certainly does not imply the opposite. After all, not every male body is the same, they function differently and not every man experiences wet dreams. Another underlying condition associated with erectile dysfunction is vascular disease which causes lazy erections where are not rigid or full or are lost quickly than expected. Arteriosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries causing the reduction of blood flow throughout the body. Tied closely to age, it accounts for 50 to 60 percent of impotence in men above 60. Risk factors include diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. Smoking can lead to any of the aforementioned risk factors and is thus considered to be the most significant risk factor for impotence in the case of arteriosclerosis.

Diseases that affects the testicles and pituitary glands may decrease testosterone levels which will eventually lead to impotence, this known as hypogonadism. That aside, drugs, hormone disorders, pelvic trauma, surgery, radiation therapy can contribute to impotence. What many do not know is that over 200 commonly prescribed drugs, a number of over-the-counter medications can lead to impotence. These include drugs for high blood pressure, heart medications, antidepressants, tranquilizers and sedatives. Alcohol may affect the nervous system and is frequently associated to erectile dysfunction.