It’s important to make mention that ED can be associated with stress, hormones, emotional well-being, the nervous system, muscle tone, circulation, medications, and more. While there may be a simple explanation for the inability to maintain an erection, sexual arousal is a complex function of the body, so it’s in your best interest to consult with your doctor if you’re regularly having trouble sustaining an erection and having pleasurable sex.
Regular exercise for about 20 to 30 minutes a day may act as a libido enhancer and certainly will improve your overall health. "Exercising improves blood flow to all areas of your body and that includes the pelvic region where the blood vessels needed for sexual functioning are located," says Feloney. Some other ways that regular exercise can improve your sexual performance include building up your stamina, lowering your blood pressure, relieving stress, and helping you look and feel better.
Diabetes.  Millions of men with type 1 diabetes, which is the form of the condition you are born with, or the most common, type 2 diabetes, which develops primarily due to poor diet, are dealing with symptoms of erectile dysfunction.  For men with type 2 diabetes and erectile dysfunction, the condition can be controlled with a natural erectile dysfunction cures, and a heart healthy diet.  For men with diabetes, the American Association of Urology recommends using an erectile dysfunction pump for men with diabetes and erectile dysfunction.

Wing, R. R., Rosen, R. C., Fava, J. L., Bahnson, J., Brancati, F., Gendrano, I. N. C., … Wadden, T. A. (2010, January). Effects of weight loss intervention on erectile function in older men with type 2 diabetes in the Look AHEAD trial. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 7(1), 156-165. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4461030/
A daily glass of wine, beer or single malt over dinner or after work with your buddies will not lead to erectile dysfunction (ED), inability to get or maintain an erection during sex. Overindulging, though, will short-circuit your sex life. Besides waking up with a major hangover, overdoing it will eventually lead to hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular disease, which interferes with blood flow to your  equation is simple: the less blood flow, the soft and skimpier the erection. Unless you can drink in moderation, avoid alcohol if you want to be at your best in bed.
Many commonly used drugs can cause erectile dysfunction. Prescription medication and over-the-counter drugs can decrease libido, interfere with normal blood flow, or even cause absent seminal emission or retrograde ejaculation. In fact, 8 of the 12 most commonly prescribed medications list ED as a side effect. Medications that commonly cause ED include:
L-arginine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the human body and helps make that magic nitric oxide so important for supporting an erection. A 1999 study observed the effects of six weeks of L-arginine administered daily among men with ED. One third of those who took five grams per day of L-arginine experienced significant improvements in sexual function.
If not properly controlled, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause complications due to high blood sugar levels. Over time, these high levels can cause irreversible nerve damage and narrow your blood vessels. While nerve damage may affect the sensitivity of your penis, blood vessel damage can affect the blood flow to your penis and make it more difficult for you to get an erection.
Low intracavernosal nitric oxide synthase levels are found in people with diabetes, smokers, and men with testosterone deficiency. Interference with oxygen delivery or nitric oxide synthesis can prevent intracavernosal blood pressure from rising to a level sufficient to impede emissary vein outflow, leading to an inability to acquire or sustain rigid erection. Examples include decreased blood flow and inadequate intracavernosal oxygen levels when atherosclerosis involves the hypogastric artery or other feeder vessels and conditions, such as diabetes, that are associated with suboptimal nitric oxide synthase activity.
Also, even if rates of erectile difficulties are rising in young guys, we definitely can’t say why. While many like to point to increased access to online porn as the likely culprit, we need to be mindful of the fact that a ton of other things could potentially be playing a role. For example, young people today are much more likely to be using antidepressants than they were in the past, which we know can cause a number of sexual side effects. There may also have been changes in condom use patterns—we know that a lot of guys have erectile difficulties when using condoms, so if guys today are using more condoms, that could translate to more difficulties.
Since the decrease in T levels is often a consequence of obesity or weight gain (51), the milestone of treating testosterone deficiency in obese men is encouraging substantial lifestyle changes, including physical activity and weight loss. In fact, it is universally recognized that a low calorie diet or bariatric surgery can induce a significant increase in T plasma levels, reaching 10 nmol/L with the most invasive surgical procedures (62). Weight loss-induced T rise is more evident in young individuals (62), and, therefore, it must be strongly recommended in this age band.
In regard to circulation, alcohol causes the blood vessels to dilate, which influences the way the blood moves in and out of the penis. A good blood flow regulates the relaxation and contraction of the penis, so it can get and maintain an erection. Without it, no matter how much you may want it to happen differently, your penis will simply remain flaccid.
Ultrasound with Doppler imaging (ultrasound plus evaluation of blood flow in the arteries and veins) can provide additional information about blood flow of the penis and may help in the evaluation of patients prior to surgical intervention. This study is typically performed after the injection of a chemical that causes the arteries to open up, a vasodilator (prostaglandin E1), into the corpora cavernosa in order to cause dilation of blood vessels and promote blood flow into the penis. The rate of blood flow into the penis can be measured along with an evaluation of problems with compression of the veins.
Erectile function can be impaired in several endocrine disorders and treating these conditions can improve ED (43). This is the case of adrenal insufficiency, whose treatment with glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement is able to improve erectile function (44). Similarly, an adequate control of thyroid function in hyper- and hypothyroid patients is associated with an improvement in ED (45,46). However, although ED is a common complaint in subjects with Addison’s disease, hypo- and even more hyperthyroidism (45-48), the prevalence of these disorders is subjects with ED is not so high for recommending the routine screening of adrenal and thyroid hormone in these men (49). In contrast with the low prevalence of adrenal or thyroid disturbances in ED subjects, testosterone (T) deficiency is frequently found in subjects with ED (49,50) and, in turn, low T is frequently associated with the occurrence of sexual dysfunctions, including ED, even in general population (51). Accordingly, the Fourth ICSM recommends the routine assessment of T levels in patients with ED (43). The assessment of prolactin (PRL) in ED patients is controversial because an actual pathological increase in PRL levels (severe hyperprolactinemia: prolactin ≥735 mU/L or 35 ng/mL) is rarely found in ED men (52). Furthermore, the role of PRL in inducing ED is still not clarified. Hyperprolactinemia has been consistently associated with loss of sexual desire (43,53) and development of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, both conditions that can in turn induce ED. However, a direct role of high PRL levels in inducing an impairment of erectile function is not consistently proven (52,54) and, conversely, more recent evidence suggests that lower, rather than higher, PRL levels are associated with impaired erectile function (55-57). For these reasons, at present, the assessment of PRL levels in subjects with ED is not routinely recommended (43) and it could be advisable only in men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, as a possible cause of this condition.
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There are a number of reasons a man may not achieve the desired result from an oral erectile dysfunction drug. In some cases, a man may experience drug side effects severe enough to outweigh any potential benefit of taking the drug. Possible side effects of these drugs include headache, facial flushing, nasal congestion, and transient abnormal vision. (In October 2007, the FDA added a warning about sudden hearing loss to the package labels of oral erectile dysfunction drugs. While it’s not absolutely clear that the drugs can cause sudden hearing loss, a number of cases have been reported in men within hours or days of taking one of the drugs.)
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get an erection or to keep one that's firm enough or that lasts long enough for a man to have a satisfying sexual experience. Occasional bouts of ED aren't unusual. In fact, as many as one in five men deal with erectile dysfunction to some degree. Symptoms, of course, are rather obvious. And while age can be a risk factor, so can medication use, health conditions, lifestyle factors (like smoking), and other concerns. Treatment is available and may involve prescriptions, habit changes, or other options.

Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is defined as not being able to get or keep an erection firm enough for sex. Remember, occasional erectile dysfunction is not uncommon, but if it’s persistent, erectile dysfunction can be the sign of a more serious health issue, and so you should visit your doctor.Here are 8 surprising causes of erectile dysfunction:High cholesterol. Having a raised cholesterol increases the risk of atherosclerosis where the arteries become narrowed and clogged, resulting in impaired blood flow. When this happens to the arteries in the penis, it can prevent enough blood to create an erection from reaching the penis.Depression. This can cause a lack of interest in sex. See your doctor if this happens to you.Smoking. Smoking causes damage to blood vessels, including those that supply the penis which can result in difficulty in achieving an erection.Cycling. Long hours in the saddle without changing position can cause compression of the perineal nerves and blood vessels, resulting in nerve damage which causes erectile dysfunction. Some saddles are worse than others. If cycling is causing you symptoms of tingling or numbness in your penis, adjust your riding position and take a break.  You might want to look at a different saddle, too. Rodeo riding can have the same effect.Medicines. Erectile dysfunction can be a side-effect of many medicines, including some antipsychotics and antidepressants, cholesterol-lowering medicines, high blood pressure medicines, and epilepsy medicines.Stress. Feelings of stress and anxiety can overflow onto your sex life, and you may find you can’t perform as well as you normally could. 'Performance anxiety' is a common cause of erectile problems.Diabetes. Diabetes raises the risk of erectile dysfunction threefold by its effects on nerves and blood vessels.Peyronie’s disease. This disease causes curvature of the penis due to a hardened area of scar tissue, which results in pain when the man has an erection.If you suffer from erectile dysfunction, don’t be embarrassed – it affects one in 5 men over 40. Remember your doctor can help identify the cause of your erectile dysfunction,  and put you on the path to successful treatment. Read erectile dysfunction – visiting your doctor to find out what to expect when you visit your doctor. Last Reviewed: 18 February 2016
Erectile dysfunction isn’t just about not being able to achieve an erection. Often times men can get an erection and still suffer from some of the early symptoms of erectile dysfunction. ED is more about the inability to get and maintain an erection that’s strong enough to have “satisfactory” sex. Satisfaction is the key word in that definition. And it encompasses a lot.
Some men should not take PDE5 inhibitors. They can cause hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure that can lead to fainting and even shock) when given to patients who are taking nitrates (medications taken for heart disease). Therefore, patients taking nitrates daily should not take any of the PDE5 inhibitors. Nitrates relieve angina (chest pain due to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle because of narrowing of the coronary arteries); these include nitroglycerine tablets, patches, ointments, sprays, and pastes, as well as isosorbide dinitrate and isosorbide mononitrate. Other nitrates such as amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate also are in some recreational drugs called "poppers."
While these are the two most comparable datasets on this subject, there’s a problem with both of these studies, which is that they don’t tell us anything about the severity of the difficulties experienced. Having erectile “difficulty” doesn’t necessarily mean that these guys can’t get an erection at all or that they have problems every time and with every partner. Also, we don’t know whether guys who had very mild problems answered these questions consistently (e.g., if it only happened once or you didn’t think it was a big deal, would you still report it as a problem?).
What are the symptoms of diabetes in women? Diabetes can have different effects on men and women. Learn all about the symptoms of diabetes experienced by women with this article, including how the disease may affect pregnancy and the menopause. This MNT Knowledge Center article will also look at gestational diabetes and the risk factors involved. Read now
"Stress and anxiety can adversely affect sexual performance and are common causes of erectile dysfunction,” warns Feloney. “Feelings of stress and anxiety can also lead to depression and a loss of interest in sex." It's important to get these feelings out in the open where you can deal with them. Issues that can lead to erectile dysfunction include fear from previous bad experiences with sex, family or work related stress, poor communication with your partner, and unrealistic goals and expectations.
Although few studies specifically evaluated the clinical characteristics of ED in younger men, this problem is increasingly frequent. Healthcare professionals both inside and outside of Sexual Medicine are likely to deal with young men complaining for ED and it is important that basic knowledge on this topic is available. In fact, young men reporting ED risk being dismissed without any specific medical assessment, including medical history or physical exam, owing to the assumption that ED in younger is a self-limiting condition, without any clinical consequence. However, evidence shows that, similar to middle-aged or older men, ED can be the consequence of the combination of organic, psychological and relational factors and all these components must be assessed for a correct clinical management. In particular, ED in younger, even more than in older men, can be considered a harbinger of CVD and it offers the unique opportunity to unearth the presence of CV risk factors, thus allowing effective and high quality preventive interventions.
In some cases, men who experience abuse or sexual trauma in childhood may develop erectile issues later in life. If you have had this kind of experience, the chances are good that erectile dysfunction is not your only struggle and you should seriously consider seeking professional help. Though childhood trauma is a completely valid reason for developing ED, we’re going to focus on the psychological issues that develop later in life.

Many younger men are concerned that this will create a dependency on the medication.  However, you cannot become dependent because there is no tachyphylaxis to these medications.  This means, that unlike some other drugs (opiates, benzodiazepines) your body does not get used to these medications over time, so you won’t need to up the dosage over time to get the same effect.  In fact, we have found the opposite to be true.  Over time, many of our younger patients need less medication and need it less frequently.

Dr. Anna Murray, of the University of Exeter Medical School, is co-lead author on the study. She said: “Erectile dysfunction affects at least one in five men over 60, yet up until now little has been known about its cause. Our paper echoes recent findings that the cause can be genetic, and it goes further. We found that a genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes is linked to erectile dysfunction. That may mean that if people can reduce their risk of diabetes through healthier lifestyles, they may also avoid developing erectile dysfunction.”
The number of symptoms reported appeared to be a function of the amount of alcoholic beverage consumed. The chance of developing sexual dysfunctions appears to increase with increasing quantity of alcohol consumed. Higher levels of alcohol intake may result in greater neurotoxic effects. It has been reported that heavy alcohol use may contribute to a reversible vagal neuropathy, which is perhaps reversible on abstinence.[17] However, chronic heavy use of alcohol is also known to significantly alter gonadal hormones.[9]
Ageing is one of the most important unmodifiable risk factors for the development of metabolic disorders and CV diseases. Accordingly, the common algorithms for the estimation of risk of forthcoming diabetes or CV events include age as a factor of the equations (24-29). The weight attributed to age for estimating the risk in these equations is often so significant that younger men are automatically considered at low risk, irrespective of the other possible risk factors. However, even in younger subjects, overlooking the contribution of cardio-metabolic factors to pathogenesis of ED is a mistake that can lead to the loss of the opportunity of early recognition of patients who deserve a change in life-style or a pharmacological correction of risk factors. ED, besides being considered one of the clinical manifestations of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), is regarded as an early marker of CV events (17). In fact, according to Montorsi’s hypothesis (30), impairment of penile artery blood flow occurs before that of coronary or carotid arteries, whose diameter is greater and needs longer time to acquire a clinically relevant damage. The clinical consequence of this pathological event is that ED often manifests earlier than myocardial infarction or stroke. In particular, it has been demonstrated that ED occurs on average three years before the first major adverse CV event (MACE) (31). Quite surprisingly, although CV risk increases with ageing, the role of ED as a harbinger of forthcoming MACE becomes progressively less evident. Data derived from almost 2,500 community-dwelling men aged 40–79 years, involved in the Olmsted County study show that ED is associated with an almost 50-fold higher risk of incident heart diseases in men aged 40–49 years, whereas the difference in risk between ED and non-ED men progressively declines in older men (32). The different CV risk associated with ED in different age bands has been confirmed by the meta-analysis of the available longitudinal studies (33). These observations suggest that, in younger men, the role of ED as a marker of CV risk is even more dramatic than in older ones and as a consequence, investigating the presence of metabolic or CV conditions in younger ED patients is pivotal for identifying men in whom an early life-style modification may avoid serious CV consequences. Even more than erection during sexual intercourse, erection during masturbation is considered a physiologic function that mirrors metabolic and CV health. In fact, erections during masturbation are far less affected by relational and psychological components than sex-related ones (34). In a population of subjects attending the Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit of the University of Florence for sexual dysfunction, more than 2,500 men reported autoeroticism in the previous 3 months. Among these men, the impairment of erection during masturbation was associated with family and personal history of CVD (35), as well as with impaired response to the test with the intracavernous injection (ICI) of prostaglandin E1, which suggests an arteriogenic damage of penile arteries and predicts forthcoming MACE (36). For a subset of these men (n=862), information on the occurrence of MACE during a mean follow-up of 4.3 years was available and those who reported impaired erections during masturbation had a significantly higher incidence of MACE (35). However, when considering separately younger and older men, this association was confirmed only in younger ones, and it was still significant after excluding men reporting severe ED during masturbation (35). This suggests that the impairment of erection during masturbation is a symptom not completely overlapping with sex-related ED and that it can provide different and supplementary information, in particular when assessed in younger and apparently healthy men. Similarly to what is observed for erection during masturbation, acceleration of blood in penile arteries, as measured by the colour Doppler ultrasound in flaccid conditions, is associated with an adverse CV profile in men consulting for ED. A reduction in flaccid acceleration, which can be used by clinicians to objectively verify the arteriogenic origin of ED and to characterize the extent of a self-reported symptom, has been also associated with a future risk of CV events, with the association being significant in younger but not in older men (37).
Some doctors prefer to start a man on the lowest dose of an oral medicine and increase the dose until an effective one is found. Others prefer to start with the highest dose and go to a lower dose only if a man complains of side effects. In either case, it’s important for a man to communicate with his doctor to let him know how the dose he’s using is working.