Am I Impotent? Understanding Erectile Dysfunction
Have you ever sensed that something is off because your stamina during sex isn’t lasting? You are not by yourself.
You don’t last long in bed due to two main reasons: premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.
Regrettably, erectile dysfunction has been linked for a long time to feelings of shame and secrecy.
However, in Australia 2 out of 5 men over 40 years old encounter some type of ED.
Younger men are also included; specialists found that around 8% of men under 30 years old experience erectile dysfunction.
Not getting an erection has nothing to do with your weakness. You are not less of a man because you don’t get hard. But, it is your body, mind, or lifestyle telling you ‘I need help’.
Men who are facing erectile dysfunction are mocked as ‘impotent’ which means lacking power. You will learn more about it and what you can do as we progress.
It is when you cannot get a normal erection. You find it difficult trying to get it hard and when you succeed in having an erection, it does not last long enough for you to fully enjoy sex, and usually lasts for around 3 months.
An erection is when your penis stands hard and enlarged as blood flows into it, mostly during sexual stimulation or excitement. It could also occur during sleep or at random in a healthy male.
An erection starts when messages are transmitted to the hypothalamus in your brain. Your brain reacts by transmitting signals that lead to the relaxation of the smooth muscle in the penis, resulting in increased blood flow, making the penis erect and swollen. An erection can diminish after ejaculation; it can also diminish without ejaculation.
These factors increase your tendency to have erectile dysfunction.
This is when you do not have an erection, or your erection fails to remain firm long enough to enjoy sex.
PE occurs when you reach ejaculation more quickly than you want during sexual intercourse, typically within one or two minutes after penetration. This disorder is the most prevalent sexual issue in males, impacting 1 in 3 men.
Any age can experience ED and PE. But, most times your age tendency for erectile dysfunction is above 40 years and 18 to 59 years for premature ejaculation.
You could suffer from both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, which at least 1 in every 5 men experience.
Erectile dysfunction may result in premature ejaculation. Moreover, early ejaculation can result in erectile dysfunction.
Because you are anxious about losing your erection it may lead to quick ejaculation.
Premature ejaculation makes you concerned about your sexual performance, potentially leading to erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction symptoms include:
You are asking the question, ‘How do I get it up?’
The causes of erectile dysfunction can be explained in 2 main groups: physical causes and psychological causes.
Physical causes often show a gradual onset of symptoms and a normal libido. There include:
Your penis becomes erect and hard when blood flows into the vessels; hence, conditions that reduce blood flow will interfere with erection.
Sicknesses that could cause this include:
Testosterone increases your libido, causing you to have erections and orgasms.
Low testosterone levels will make you experience a decrease in sexual excitement and desire, which can cause erectile dysfunction.
You can experience erectile dysfunction because of habits like smoking, taking too much alcohol, poor diet, and physical inactivity.
Drugs that contribute to erectile dysfunction include:
If you have other health conditions, you could experience erectile dysfunction. Also, erectile dysfunction can cause other health conditions. 43.2% of men with erectile dysfunction will have hypertension, while 46.5% of all hypertensive men will also have erectile dysfunction.
Some of these health conditions are:
You will need to start managing those underlying conditions first before you can treat your erectile dysfunction.
It has been proven that psychological factors can contribute to erectile problems.
Factors like:
There is also evidence that erectile dysfunction can cause you to feel:
When you are depressed, worried, or anxious about performing well, you are thinking thoughts like: ‘I am a complete failure because my erection was not 100%’ or ‘I’m sure it will not work tonight’. This will create performance anxiety that will affect your erection and cause erectile dysfunction.
Most times this is resolved once that emotion is resolved.
Give yourself some time to heal and recover. If it does not improve after treatment, you need to go for a check-up. Avoid getting worried over it, as anxiety will increase erectile dysfunction.
For chronic conditions like hypertension, let your health professional know so another drug can be prescribed.
If you notice any changes in your erection, one of the first steps to take is to take a good look at your habits and make changes quickly. You could begin to see changes.
But if your erectile dysfunction has lasted for 3 months, you will need to seek medical management.
There aren’t many studies on the ideal duration of intercourse, however in a study from 2005, participants self-reported an average penetration time of 5.4 minutes.
Only penetration is included in this estimation; cuddling and foreplay are not.
Erectile dysfunction can cause you to experience infertility. Also, infertility can cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems. Here’s how:
ED can cause your libido to drop which lowers your sexual satisfaction which lessens sexual encounters.
Infertility itself can cause you to have psychological distress, anxiety, and depression, which will increase erectile dysfunction.
This compromises the timing and frequency necessary for conception.
Some studies suggest a correlation between erectile dysfunction and poor semen quality (e.g., azoospermia), indicating that erectile dysfunction may coexist with underlying reproductive dysfunctions.
Couples dealing with infertility often plan to have sexual intercourse around the fertile period, which can put pressure on you to perform and cause situational erectile dysfunction.
This goes on to reduce spontaneous sexual activity and potentially worsens sexual dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is a chronic condition; if you have been experiencing it for up to 3 months, you need to see a doctor.
Most often, erectile dysfunction is caused by a combination of factors. Using medicine alone when you need psychological therapy in combination, the treatment may not be effective.
To know exactly what the problem is, you need an expert to assess you to determine if:
Diagnostic Penile Vascular Imaging Studies
You could be asked by your doctor to do it for a better understanding of ED information.
Penile colour duplex ultrasound provides an inexpensive, simple, and safe diagnostic evaluation of penile ultrastructures such as vascular parameters, smooth muscle and tunical plaque.
A combination treatment is more effective than using only one treatment approach.
First-line medical therapy: Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5i) is an effective first-line medical example of Sildenafil, Vardenafil, Tadalafil, and Avanafil.
Second-line therapy: Intracavernosal injections and erectile dysfunction pump are recommended as second-line therapy.
Third-line therapy: A penile prosthesis implant can be considered if you are medically refractory or unable to tolerate the side effects of medical therapy.
Pro-erectile regenerative therapy remains largely experimental.
The goals of psychosexual therapy are:
This is not done alone; it is done in combination with medical therapy.
ED and sex affect both you and your partner; the attitude of your partner can increase your anxiety, which will negatively hinder your treatment. Hence, it’s better to go with your partner for treatment.
As discussed earlier, other medical conditions can trigger erectile dysfunction.
Your treatment should not be one-off; you should ensure you go for a check-up at intervals.
Your erectile dysfunction can be a sign that you are starting to develop a cardiovascular disorder such as myocardial infarction and stroke and it can happen 2-5 years earlier. Before the onset of angina symptoms, erectile dysfunction may be evident in almost 70% of cases.
No, erectile dysfunction is the inability to maintain or become sufficiently firm for sex. Whereas premature ejaculation is distinct but treatable.
Sometimes, if your erectile dysfunction is caused by a stressor or a present medical condition. But if you are still not getting hard after 3 months, you need to see an expert for treatment.
Are you struggling with getting or staying hard?
There is no shame, you can get help.
Speak to a licensed doctor online — confidentially and without judgement.
Your sexual health is a vital part of your overall health. Let’s get you back in control.
Book a discreet online consultation with our team today at Longevity Clinics today.
We’ve developed a comprehensive six-step process that acts as your personal health roadmap, to follow towards your health goals.
