Psychological Stress Kills Erections
By far the biggest group of men with poor erections are those suffering with psychological causes of erectile dysfunction. To have a firm and lasting erection men have to be relaxed. Stress by far is the biggest destroyer of erections.
Imagine you are a caveman running away from a sabre tooth tiger, your body will redistribute blood towards vital survival organs i.e. the brain and eyes, and the legs to help you run away.
Getting an erection at this time is not helpful for your survival.
Unfortunately many guys get stress when with a new partner or perhaps worry about getting an erection itself. This results in decreased blood flow to the penis and poor erections.
Relaxation exercises can sometimes help a man feel more comfortable, the stress levels go down and the erection starts to become more reliable.
Many Medications Can Kill Erections
Another common cause of erectile issues are medications that are used to treat other conditions.
Heart medications, antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs and epilepsy drugs are known causes of erectile dysfunction. Antidepressants are also known for frequently causing ejaculation dysfunction with many men reporting they find it hard to climax and sometimes can't even get to that point.
Medical Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
When you see your doctor to talk about poor erections one important step is to exclude the common medical causes for erectile problems. Diabetes, low testosterone, thyroid disfunction can all cause problems with erections.
Heart disease is another major cause for impotence. The arteries to the penis are around the same size as the arteries to the heart. If there are issues with the penis there may be similar going on at the heart.
For this reason any man having erection problems should have a full cardiovascular screening to ensure the health of his heart.
I always recommend seeing a doctor if you are having any concerns. Not only does this help ensure your ongoing health but can also lead to treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Yours in good health
Dr George Forgan-Smith
