If there is any word that wreaks havoc in any man's mind, it has to be impotence. Unfortunately, male impotence has been a major problem in recent times. It is defined as the persistent inability to attain or maintain an erection thereby hindering sexual satisfaction. Note that the word here is "persistent" and therefore must be distinguished from the temporary and occasional erection failure experienced by many individuals that may result from stress or consuming too much alcohol. It manifests in quite a number of forms such as inconsistent ability to attain an erection, tendency to achieve brief erection or total or complete inability to do the same.
One thing that you will acknowledge about male impotence is that it comes abruptly with no warning. There are several indicators of impotence. If the erection is not sufficiently firm for vaginal penetration, drop in the rigidity or the strength is lost upon penetration, chances are that there is a problem with impotence. It is important to acknowledge that impotence in itself is not a disease, but rather a secondary disorder resulting from primary causes. The causes of impotence are categorized into four groups, including physical (also known as organic impotence), psychological or a combination of the two. There are instances when the causes of male impotence are unknown. In most cases, the problem has absolutely nothing to do with the male organ. Psychological male impotence comes abruptly rather than over long periods of time. This may be caused by financial worries, job stresses or a rocky marriage. Nagging situations known to occupy the subconscious and conscious thoughts may lead to impotence. As you may acknowledge, every man at one time or another temporarily undergoes bursts of impotence. Ironically, some would be so concerned about their pathetic sexual performance that they end up being impotent.
Physical factors are quite high as far as causing male impotence is concerned. Quite a number of conditions could lead to impotence. These could be factors such as diabetes, diseases of the blood vessels, surgeries, endocrine problems and even abuse of drugs. Diabetes is known to damage the small and large blood vessels as well as the peripheral nerves thereby affecting the ability of the brain to transmit messages to other parts of the body. Blood vessels may also be leaking in which case even as a man achieves partial or full erection, he is unable to maintain it since the blood escapes back to the body. If the individual undergoes surgery of the pelvis area, the surgeons may cut through the flesh to the bladder, colon or the prostate, sometimes severing the nerves that connect to penile area resulting in male impotence. Endocrine problems are also known to disrupt the standard functioning of vital hormones. Low levels of hormones such as thyroid hormones would result in erections of low quality while a production of too much prolactin may inhibit testosterone production leading to impotence.
One of the most common causes of male impotence is the use of drugs and other substances. Prescription drugs such as histamine receptor antagonists, estrogens, anti-androgens, anti-hyperlipidemics, LHRH analogues, MAO inhibitors, diuretics, beta blockers and methyldopa can cause impotence. Substances such as heroin, cocaine, marijuana, whiskey, beer, Phencyclidine (PCP), and methadone may possibly block the penile arteries. At the end of the day, an individual would have to look at his medical history in order to determine what could be the cause of impotence. In most cases, the treatment for impotence is only by prescription since the disorder in itself is an indication of underlying problems. In this case, finding out the predisposing factors would be important.
