September 25, 2023

One Can Happen

The Healthy Lovers

How Can You Prevent Erectile Dysfunction?

How Do I Know If I Have Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction refers to the failure to get an erection and to sustain it for enough time when having sex. Many men in Port St. Lucie, Florida suffer from mild erectile dysfunction that resolves on its own after a short duration. Erectile dysfunction becomes a problem when it stays for a prolonged duration, negatively effecting your sex life. There are different causes of erectile dysfunction that include medical conditions and psychological problems.

If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction that affects your sexual performance and worries you and your partner, you can seek medical attention from a doctor. When you visit the doctor in Port St. Lucie, FL, sexual medicine providers will take a thorough medical history and do a physical examination of your reproductive system. The doctor might also order laboratory tests to confirm the cause of erectile dysfunction. Treatment of the condition depends on the cause.

What Are the Risk Factors of Erectile Dysfunction?

Erection occurs due to a combination of many factors including brain coordination, hormones, emotional state, muscle contraction, and dilation of the blood vessels inside the penis. Anything that affects any of these factors puts you at risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Some men suffer from multiple causes of erectile dysfunction, and this may make the treatment be more challenging.

There are many, and varying, contributors to the possibility of suffering with erectile dysfunction. Some of them include:

  • Persons who suffer from brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis
  • Diabetes
  • Trauma to the penis
  • Anatomical abnormalities of the penis
  • Obesity
  • Drinking a lot of alcohol
  • Smoking nicotine
  • Heart disease/High blood pressure
  • High levels of cholesterol
  • Clogging of the blood vessels with fat, a condition known as atherosclerosis
  • Excess abdominal fat

You are at a higher risk of getting erectile dysfunction if you have hypertrophy of the prostate and if you are on treatment for prostate cancer. Spinal cord injury, sleeping disorders, and scarring of the penis are other causes of erectile dysfunction. You are more likely to develop erectile dysfunction if you have underlying hormonal imbalances, like low levels of testosterone.

Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction include stress, depression, anxiety, and poor communication with your sexual partner. Erectile dysfunction can cause some complications like having low self-esteem and an inability to satisfy your partner, which causes marital and relationship issues. You can also develop male infertility if you have prolonged erectile dysfunction.

How Can You Prevent Erectile Dysfunction?

You can reduce your risk of developing erectile dysfunction by avoiding the factors that predispose you to it. This involves managing your stress levels, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, weight management, and injury and trauma that is avoidable. Seeking medical help for underlying medical conditions like diabetes and heart diseases also helps to avoid erectile dysfunction.

You can also seek counseling together with your partner. Quitting smoking and drinking alcohol is another effective way to prevent the development of erectile dysfunction. It is advisable to stay fit by exercising regularly and practicing relaxation techniques. Consult a doctor as soon as you notice early symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction presents with an inability to get and sustain an erection during sex. Some of the factors that cause erectile dysfunction include underlying medical conditions like hypertension and diabetes, psychological problems like depression and smoking, and drinking alcohol. If you have erectile dysfunction that is affecting your sexual performance, you can seek help from a specialist.