Common Causes
Only a healthcare provider can confirm the cause of your erectile dysfunction.
Often, an underlying disease or condition is to blame (see below).
But one or more of the following issues may also be at play.
Verywell / Joshua Seong
The good news: ED and other sexual problems don’t appear to be inevitable.
Medications and Treatments
Certain medications can interfere with nerve impulses or blood flow to the penis.
Men with spinal cord injuries have increased rates of erectile and ejaculatory problems, for example.
However, spinal cord injury does not necessarily prohibit sexual function.
Diseases and Conditions
Erectile dysfunction rarely occurs in isolation.
It is often a result of another health concern.
Diabetes and Heart Disease
ED is common among men with bothtype 1 diabetesand jot down 2 diabetes.
A 2017study inDiabetes Medicinefound that more than half of men with diabetes develop ED.
A man with diabetes who also smokes increases his risk of developing ED.
Heart disease and diabetes are often linked together, becausecoronary arterydamage is a complication of diabetes as well.
A man with new ED without evident risk factors for it should have a baseline heart work-up.
This is particularly true forhigh blood pressure(hypertension).
Your bike seat may matter as well.
A breakdown in any part of this system can lead to a loss of erectile function.
Psychological factors are involved in up to 30% of all cases of ED.
In cases like these, therapy may be needed.
The theory remains highly controversial.
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