What is erectile dysfunction and what causes it?

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to achieve and maintain an erection during sexual activity, also known as impotence. Penile erection requires an increase in blood flow of at least 20 times. This occurs when a man becomes sexually aroused, and the brain sends nerve impulses to the penis, causing the blood vessels to dilate and fill with blood, while preventing the return of blood to the penis, keeping it stiff and hard.

It is common to experience and is not serious in all cases, but if you experience it often or every time, it should be considered a problem and you should see a doctor.

You can have different types of erection problems. Some experience it suddenly, others experience it gradually. For some, the problem lies in the penis not being able to become hard enough and others experience that the erection decreases too quickly. 

It is an uncomfortable problem that can lead to stress, affect one’s self-image, and lead to feelings of inadequacy. Unfortunately, these things can also make the problem worse and result in one withdrawing from sexual activity. 

How many people experience this?

Statistically, 5% of 40-year-olds, 10% of 50-year-olds and 20-25% of men over 65 experience problems with erection. The problem tends to increase with age. In men with diabetes, erectile dysfunction is experienced by between 30 and 50%.

Why do people get erection problems?

It is important to be aware of erectile dysfunction as it can be a sign of another disease, such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, hormonal disorders or nerve diseases. Therefore, you should see a doctor if you have trouble achieving an erection.

There can be many causes of erectile dysfunction. They can be biological, psychological and social in nature and are often interconnected. 

In the case of biological causes, the following is seen:

• normal sex drive,
• gradual loss of erection,
• no spontaneous erection either morning or night,
• normal ejaculation,
• diseases as mentioned above,
• surgery or radiation therapy,
• medicine,
• smoking,
• high alcohol consumption,
• doping. 

Psychological causes can include an experience, sexual trauma, depression, low self-esteem, performance anxiety. This is more common in young men with normal morning erections and no erection problems during masturbation. They experience the problem as a sudden onset and often the problem is that the erection falls too quickly and/or prematurely or lack of ejaculation.

For reasons of a social nature, it is often related to problems or changes in the relationship with a partner, social pressure about sexual behavior, unrealistic expectations possibly from pornography.

How is erectile dysfunction treated?

The treatment depends on the cause and how the problem manifests itself. As a rule, treatment consists of several things, medical treatment will rarely be able to stand alone. The other measures would be talk therapy, often also involving the partner, lifestyle changes, in the form of weight reduction, alcohol and smoking cessation, regular physical activity. This is also related to some of the things you can do yourself to improve the situation or prevent erectile dysfunction. Here are some tips you can use yourself to improve or prevent an erection problem:

• If you are overweight, you should lose weight.
• Avoid tobacco and large amounts of alcohol
• Physical activity in the form of cardio and strength exercises as it improves blood circulation
• Talk to your partner about the problem
• Talk therapy, possibly with the partner, as it can be helpful
• Pelvic floor exercises, also known as gluteal exercises, can strengthen the muscles in the pelvis and increase blood circulation.

Source: sundhed.dk.

Osteopathy and erectile dysfunction

It is important to emphasize that osteopathy cannot cure structural causes of erectile dysfunction (see section Why do people get erectile dysfunction). However, we find that with patients where the cause cannot be determined, i.e. there may not be another disease causing the problem, that osteopathic treatment can have a positive impact on the problem.