To begin with the causes of the erectile dysfunction, the physical factors are the biggest of the reasons responsible for it. While erectile dysfunction can cause stress, anxiety and depression, these are certainly not the root causes behind its occurrence. Erectile dysfunction is a sign that much more dangerous diseases are evolving. The diseases which lie underneath the problem of erectile dysfunction are as follows:

• Vascular Diseases : Vascular diseases are those diseases which affect the blood vessels of the body. This includes diseases like atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, high cholesterol and hypertension. All these diseases restrict the flow of blood to the heart, brain, arteries and in the case of erectile dysfunction, the penis. These diseases account for at least 70% of the cases of ED related to physical causes.
• Diabetes : Diabetes can cause nerve and artery damage and this leads to a failure in achieving an erection by a man. Approximately 35% to 50% of men with diabetes suffer from erectile dysfunction.
• Kidney Disease : Kidney disease can cause chemical changes in the body which may affect the hormones, circulation of blood and may even affect the libido or the sex drive of a man. Some drugs used to treat kidney diseases can also cause erectile dysfunction.
• Neurological Disease : The nervous system (brain, spinal cord and the nerves) plays an important role in achieving erection. Diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries which are neurological diseases cause erectile dysfunction. Neurological diseases cause erectile dysfunction because somehow the nerves are not able to carry the neurological impulse to the penis which makes a man unable to achieve an erection and hence erectile dysfunction is caused.
• Prostate Cancer : Prostate cancer can also be one of the reasons for causing erectile dysfunction. Prostate cancer does not cause erectile dysfunction on its own. The surgical removal of cancer can cause erectile dysfunction.

Other physical causes of erectile dysfunction which are not related to diseases are as follows:

• Surgery
• Injury
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Venuous Leak
• Prescription Drugs

Back to ED Causes