Research has shown that the same eating patterns that can cause heart attacks due to restricted blood flow in the coronary arteries can also impede blood flow to and within the penis. The blood flow is needed for the penis to become erect. Diets that include very few fruits and vegetables along with lots of fatty, fried, and processed foods can contribute to decreased blood circulation throughout the body.
Schiavi et al.[12] failed to find any difference in sexual dysfunction in alcoholics abstinent for 2-3 months in comparison with a nonalcoholic control group, speculating that alcohol-induced sexual dysfunction was reversible with abstinence. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in males with alcohol dependence. We specifically assessed male subjects admitted to a treatment center with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome, without obvious hepatic cirrhosis or other co-morbidity. Female patients were excluded from the study as the number of women who use alcohol in India are few and the number of female alcoholics who avail of treatment centers are too few to contribute to significant statistical power. Also, the spectrum of sexual dysfunction is different in the female from the male.
Oral medicines: The best known ED medications are the Big Three: Viagra (sildenafil citrate, made by Pfizer, Inc.), Levitra (vardenafil HCl, made by Bayer and GlaxoSmithKline), and Cialis (tadalafil, made by Eli Lilly). The three are chemically very similar, and all have proven very effective. Because they are effective, convenient, and relatively inexpensive (about nine dollars per pill), these medicines have become the treatment of choice for most men experiencing ED.

ED usually has something physical behind it, particularly in older men. But psychological factors can be a factor in many cases of ED. Experts say stress, depression, poor self-esteem, and performance anxiety can short-circuit the process that leads to an erection. These factors can also make the problem worse in men whose ED stems from something physical.

The urologist must discuss the topic of ED delicately and caringly in order to earn the patient’s trust and be permitted to address his problem (15). It is important early during the visit to engage the patient and provide him reassurance that you will work as a team to evaluate and treat his disorder. A detailed history is the most important component of the evaluation. A thorough sexual history has many components. It should begin with information regarding onset, duration, severity, patient-suspected etiology of the ED. Ask the patient to define his specific concerns. The term “erectile dysfunction” is very broad, and the patient may actually have arousal issues or ejaculatory concerns or a combination of concerns. Ask specific questions regarding erectile hardness and sustainability during self-stimulation versus with a partner (global versus situational ED). Determine if the patient has ED in certain positions (lying down versus upright or seated). Inquire about libido and nocturnal erections. It is also important to ask the patient about past treatments and response. Inquire about any concomitant pain issues, irritative or obstructive voiding symptoms, or pelvic floor complaints.
The natural history of ED in people with diabetes is normally gradual and does not occur overnight. Both vascular and neurological mechanisms are most commonly involved in people with diabetes. Atherosclerosis in the penile and pudendal arteries limits the blood flow into the corpus cavernosum. Because of the loss of compliance in the cavernous trabeculae, the venous flow is also lost. This loss of flow results in the inability of the corpora cavernosae to expand and compress the outflow vessels.
The relationship between ED and couple relation impairment is well documented. In our population of subjects consulting for sexual dysfunction, subjects reporting conflicts within the couple were characterized by a broad spectrum of sexual symptoms, including a severe extent of ED, and they had a higher SIEDY Scale 2 score, indicating a strong relational component in the pathogenesis of ED (88). If on one hand, it is easy to understand that problems in couple relationship can cause ED, the other way around is also feasible. In the Female Experience of Men’s Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (FEMALES) study, 292 female partners of men aged more than 20 years complaining for ED were involved in a survey assessing the quality of their sexual experience (89). In this study, women reported a significant deterioration of satisfaction for sexual intercourse after the onset of ED in their partners. The satisfaction, sexual desire, arousal and orgasm were then improved in women whose partner used PDE5i (89). The role of ED as a risk factor for female dysfunction, including impairment in arousal, orgasm, sexual satisfaction and sexual pain, has been also confirmed in a study involving 632 sexually active couples, whose male partner age ranged 18–80 years (90).

As a starting point, consider the National Health and Social Life Survey, which was the first nationally representative sex survey conducted in the United States [1]. The data were collected in 1992 from thousands of Americans aged 18-59. As part of this survey, male participants were asked whether they’d had trouble maintaining or achieving an erection any time in the last year, to which they provided a simple yes/no answer.
Erectile dysfunction related to medical/physical causes is often treatable but less commonly curable. In some cases of medication-induced erectile dysfunction, changes in medication may improve erections. Similarly, in men with a history of arterial trauma, surgical intervention can restore erectile dysfunction. In most cases of ED associated with a medical condition, treatment allows one to have an erection "on demand" or with the aid of medications/device (but not spontaneous).


Urinary infections are more common in people with poorly controlled diabetes and can cause discomfort for women during intercourse and for men during urination and ejaculation. These generally are temporary complications, but they can recur. Sexual activity should be stopped during treatment of urinary tract and yeast infections, which also are relatively common in people with diabetes.
Circulatory problems: An erection occurs when the penis fills with blood and a valve at the base of the penis traps it. Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, clots, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can all interfere with this process. Such circulatory problems are the number one cause of erectile dysfunction. Frequently, erectile dysfunction is the first noticeable symptom of cardiovascular disease.

In the short term, alcohol relaxes muscles in the penis, letting blood to flow in (which is a good thing). However, alcohol also prevents other blood vessels from closing and trapping all the extra blood. Erections depend on trapping increased blood flow in the erectile tissue of the penis. If you don’t trap that extra blood, you don’t get an erection. In the long run, excessive alcohol consumption can cause liver scarring, high blood pressure, and can damage your blood vessels resulting in erectile dysfunction.
