Causes of Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Since an erection requires a precise sequence of events, (ED) can occur when any of the events is disrupted. The sequence includes nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and area around the penis, and response in muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries in and near the corpora cavernosa (two parallel chambers of the penis that, when filled with blood, produce an erection).

Damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues, often as a result of disease, is the most common cause of ED. Diseases - such as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic disease - account for about 70 percent of ED cases. Between 35 and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience ED.

What is Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction means the same thing as impotence. Both erectile dysfunction and impotence mean the inability to have or keep an erection that is good enough for sexual intercourse. If you have erectile dysfunction, it does not mean that you have an inability to have orgasm or a decreased libido (sex drive) or have premature ejaculation; although if you have these other conditions, they can affect the extent of your erectile dysfunction.

What Is an Erection?

How your body actually produces an erection and then maintains it is a complicated process that depends on

* blood flow
* steroid (androgen) production
* nervous system (neurological) stimulation
* chemical signals from the brain (neurotransmitters)
* enzymes

During an erection, small areas within the penis allow more blood in. This increase in blood causes the expansion/erection of the penis.

The increase in blood into the penis also compresses the blood vessels (veins) that allow blood to circulate back out of the penis. So once blood flows in, it is trapped and cannot flow out. This allows the erection to be maintained during sexual activity.

What Are the Causes of Erectile Dysfunction?

The causes of erectile dysfunction or impotence can be divided into two broad groups: organic and non-organic.

Organic
Organic causes are related to physical problems, problems involving your body. Examples include:

* neurological deficits caused by diabetes, spinal cord injuries, or brain (cerebral) injuries
* physical injury (trauma)
* poor blood circulation caused by atherosclerotic disease often related to smoking
* inadequate blood vessel compression, which does not allow the erection to be maintained* drug-induced changes that decrease erectile ability