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How 5 Serious Medical Conditions are Linked to Erectile Dysfunction
By Deena
December 6, 2020
3,401 views
Table of Contents
5 Health Conditions that have more to do with your penis than you realize.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, diabetes, and sleep apnea might have an effect on ED. Read on to find out more.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a difficult condition for a sexually active man to confront. Not only is it frustrating but it can also be psychologically damaging to a man’s self-esteem and his intimate relationships. These factors alone are enough to push men to seek ED treatment.
How 5 underlying medical conditions are connected to ED
What many men don’t know is that there are links between ED and other serious health conditions that require medical attention. While ED gets more common with age, it can start earlier in life when an underlying health condition exists. In fact, sometimes men only discover an underlying condition when they seek help for their ED. In fact, you need to know that ED can be a side effect of high blood pressure or blood sugar, high cholesterol, diabetes, and sleep apnea.
Diabetes and Erectile Dysfunction
It isn’t hard to make the connection between diabetes and Erectile Dysfunction. A study revealed that 5% of men with erectile dysfunction also had undiagnosed diabetes. Sometimes men only discover they have diabetes when they seek help for ED. Consider that 50-60% of men over 50 who have diabetes also suffer from ED. The number jumps to 95% for men over age 70.
Many diabetic men find they have low levels of testosterone. Testosterone is the main sex hormone for men, and low levels make it difficult to get and maintain erections.
Diabetes also damages penile nerves and reduces blood flow to and from the penis due to a narrowing of blood vessels. If blood sugar is not controlled properly, less Nitric Oxide will be produced or your body won’t respond to it. When this happens, the penis is not able to trap enough blood that flows in, and as such, it won’t get hard.
The Link Between ED and High Blood Pressure
In people with high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. As such, less blood reaches the penis making it harder to get and maintain an erection. About two-thirds of men report problems with the quality of their erections when also dealing with high blood pressure.
ED and High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a condition when there is too much low-density lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol” in the body causing a build-up on the artery walls which can ultimately lead to getting and maintaining an erection.
It is very common for men with heart disease to suffer from ED. With heart disease, plaque builds up in the arteries interferes with blood flow. To get an erection, men need a strong blood flow to the penis; the flow can’t happen if there is atherosclerosis.
Sleep Apnea and ED
Men who have sleep apnea or other sleep disorders often experience an accompanying decrease in testosterone and oxygen levels, making it difficult to get and maintain erections. To complicate matters, the fatigue and stress associated with sleep disorders worsen sexual problems. Research has in fact shown that 69% of men who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea are also diagnosed with ED.
What treatments are available?
Many options exist for treating ED and low testosterone levels. Almost all men who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disorders, or other medical conditions combined with ED can find a treatment plan that will improve their quality of life.
If you or your partner find it difficult to get or maintain an erection, the first thing to do is make an appointment with a doctor. Doctors typically start with tests to determine any underlying medical conditions. If there are underlying conditions, then treating them will likely result in better, more frequent erections. And even if there are no underlying health conditions, the doctor will be able to recommend an appropriate ED treatment.
Popular ED Treatments
There are oral medications such as Sildenafil, Tadalafil and others that promote blood flow to the penis and make it easier to get and maintain an erection. Depending on your health, your doctor will be able to advise a suitable medication. Some medications interact with other health conditions so it’s important to discuss these with your doctor.
If oral medication isn’t right for you, there are penis suppositories, injections, and vacuum-constriction devices that improve blood flow.
Basic lifestyle changes including stopping smoking, increasing exercise, limiting alcohol intake and eating a nutritious diet also positively impact health and play an important role getting an erection.
It’s simple to buy ED medications online at IsraelPharm; we offer several medical treatments for Erectile Dysfunction, click below to review our treatments.
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