Psychological and Physiological Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a condition suffered by millions of men all over the world, until the mid 1990’s it went widely unreported. Now erectile dysfunction is a condition that has gotten a lot of press so men are more likely to report it and seek help. The Latin term impotentia coeundi describes simple inability to insert the penis into the vagina. It is now mostly replaced by more precise terms and looked at as more of a medical condition.

Erectile dysfunction and occurs in men of all ages and causes impotence. Impotence is an inability to obtain and maintain an erection in order to have sexual intercourse. Some men experience an erection but can’t maintain it for any significant period of time and some can’t get a first penile response at all. There are no formal tests to diagnose erectile dysfunction. Some blood tests are generally done to exclude underlying disease, such as diabetes, hypogonadism and prolactinoma.

There are many physical causes that the medical community attributes erectile dysfunction to such as, post-surgical side effects, which happens when a man in put on a new drug after surgery or is simply worn down from the surgery. Accidental injuries to the penis or testicles, often referred to as “blunt force trauma” are another eason for erectile dysfunction. When a man is injured in the genital area, it can cause injury to any number of areas including the penis itself. Another are that can be injured and cause the same reaction is the spine or pelvic area, this is why it is important for a man to be careful when playing sports. Vascular trauma will also cause erectile dysfunction in much the same way.

Diseases and conditions such as diabetes, flu, chronic renal failure, liver disease, arterial sclerosis and Parkinsons disease can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Most of these diseases have a direct effect on how the blood flow in the body works.

Drug abuse whether it is for recreational use or regular chronic over use of addictive drugs such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamines any of these could contribute to erectile dysfunction issues. These items all affected the body in an adverse way and will often affect the penile area.

There are also many psychological causes for penile dysfunction as well. The psychological aspects need to be determined early for treatment purposes. Psychological issues often stem directly from other physical problems; however there are some basic psychological issues that can cause erectile dysfunction. Some of the most common psychological problems can be inhibited sexual desire, anxiety disorders, depression, and mental fatigue, stress, and relationship problems. Psychological problems can be hard to diagnosis because men are not as forthcoming in this realm.