Causes of Impotence

What Causes Impotence

Impotence or erectile dysfunction is a man’s inability to maintain erection long enough to engage in normal sexual intercourse. Impotence could also mean the inability to ejaculate at orgasm.

Impotence happens to men of all ages, but there’s a larger group of older people who suffer from this. It leads to the belief that impotence is also part of the aging process.
Impotence could be temporary. Occasional impotence could happen for a variety of reasons and is often not seen as a problem. However, when impotence persists for a while, it needs to be treated.

There are many common causes of impotence. Most of them are emotional issues like Depression, anger, stress, fear, worry or lack of interest in the sexual partner. In some cases, impotence may have its roots in physical problems like an injury to the groin or pelvic area, side effect of certain medicines including ones prescribed for depression or heart issues, illnesses like diabetes, reduced testosterone level or a reduction in blood flow to the penis.

Your doctor would do a series of examination and lab tests and review your medical history to establish the cause of impotence before deciding on any treatment plans.
Lab tests are conducted and medical history is investigated to find the cause of impotence. A physical examination is also required to check if the penis is sensitive to touch. This is done to rule out problem with the nervous system. Secondary sex characteristics as hair growth etc. can give a clue about possible hormonal issues as the reason for impotence. If the penis is bent, it could be a case of Peyronie’s disease.

Sometimes erections that occur in REM sleep is monitored to check for possibility of psychological issues.

Treatment of impotence depends on the underlying cause. If the person is taking prescription drugs, a change is usually recommended first. Drugs like Viagra are slso prescribed to improve response to sexual stimuli. Drugs like Caverject are injected directly into the penis. It causes the penis to be engorged with blood. However, this can cause a negative side effect called persistent erection