urology Impotency

Impotence is the condition in which a man has insufficient erection, not firm enough for sexual intercourse and or not sustained for enough time to complete intercourse.. It is also known as erectile dysfunction. Impotence can have several contributing factors, including physical and emotional disorders. The risk of impotence increases with the age of the individual. A negative effect on sex life might occur as a result, leading to additional depression, stress and a low self-esteem. Hence, understanding the potential causes is very important.

What are some of the most important causes of impotence?

1.Hormonal Causes ( Endocrine disorder)

The endocrine system produces hormones which are responsible for regulating metabolism. Reproduction, sexual functions among other things are dependent on sexual hormones. Male hormone is testosterone. One of the common endocrine diseases that is significantly contributing to impotence is diabetes. It affects the ability of the body to utilize the insulin hormone. It can cause chronic nerve damage, blood vessel damage, which would affect the erection directly. All these factors can lead to impotence.

2. Neurological Disorders

There are several neurological disorders that can be ctorsrisk fa. These conditions affect the ability of the brain to communicate to the reproductive system and affect the person and prevent an erection. The disorders include:

  • Spinal chord injury
  • spinal or brain tumours
  • stroke
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • multiple sclerosis
  • neuropathy

People who ride bicycles for long distances can go through temporary impotence. Repeated pressure on the genitals and buttocks might affect the function of the nerves.

3. Vascular causes.

Erection is a vascular event. Lot of blood flows in to penis and gets locked hard erection happens. A person cannot achieve an erection without sufficient blood flow to the penis. Any block in the vessels that supply blood to penis penile arteries´ erection will be insufficient.. It can generally caused by Atherosclerosis, a condition in which cholesterol plaque develop inside the artery blocks then blocks them. Patients with hypertension, diabetes and dyslipedemia. Are at higher risk.Same process can also affect coronary arteries thus a ‘heart attack’ is a closely associated with impotence.

4. Medications

There are certain medications taken for long time can affect erection adversely., leading to impotence. The common examples are

  • beta-blockers
  • alpha-adrenergic blockers
  • depressants for the central nervous system
  • cancer chemotherapy medications
  • stimulants for the central nervous system
  • selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
  • synthetic hormones
  • drug addiction

5. Emotional Disorders and Lifestyle Choices

Emotions play a major role in erection. Brain co ordinates the vascular , neurological and emotional events and results in erection. Thus any emotional disorders commonly ,Anxiety and depression significantly cause impotence.. It can also be caused by performance anxiety. It can also be a result of the abuse of drugs like amphetamines and cocaine. Alcohol abuse is also known to affect the achievement of erection and maintaining it. Just the way smoking affects coronaries, impotence has directly related to smoking.

How can impotence be treated?

The known ways of treating impotence follow:

1. Medications - A variety of medical treatments can be used for the purpose. Prescriptions drugs and other medical interventions can help.

2. Natural Remedies - A variety of natural remedies is available to help treat impotence. These include ginseng, acupuncture and drinking pomegranate juice.

3. Lifestyle Changes - Changes in lifestyle can help reduce the struggles of an erectile dysfunction. These include:

  • reducing anxiety
  • strengthening the communication in a romantic relationship
  • exercising and following a healthy diet
  • quitting smoking or drinking

4 Surgical treatment.

Penile prosthesis is final resort in the treatment of impotence. A silicon prosthesis is inserted in to the corpora of the penis to give artificial errection.

How can impotence be prevented?

The following measures can be taken:

  • avoiding alcohol, drugs or smoking
  • avoiding stress, depression and anxiety
  • getting proper sleep
  • taking part in regular physical exercise
  • following a healthy diet

Impotence can adversely affect the life and self-esteem of a person. However, it is a treatable condition and the interventions can help people get back to their regular sex life.

Authored By : Dr. Mahendra Jain

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Dr. Mahendra Jain

MBBS.MS.MCh.DNB Consultant Urologist


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