Impotence: An Overview

Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction

Impotence is also known as Erectile Dysfunction or more commonly as ED. It is a sexual dysfunction in men characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse. According to an estimate, Erectile Dysfunction affects 18 million men in the U.S. alone. Erectile dysfunction is different from other conditions that it interferes with sexual intercourse, such as lack of sexual desire and problems with ejaculation and orgasm.
Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction varies in severity. Some men have a total inability to achieve an erection, others have an inconsistent ability to achieve an erection and still others can sustain only brief erections. The variations in severity of Erectile Dysfunction make it very difficult to estimate the frequency of its occurrence. Being a very personal and a bit embarrassing topic, many men are reluctant to discuss Erectile Dysfunction with their doctors and thus the condition is under-diagnosed.
While Erectile Dysfunction can occur at any age, it is uncommon among young men and more common in the elderly. By age 45, most men have experienced Erectile Dysfunction at least some of the time. According to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, complete impotence increases from 5% among men 40 years of age to 15% among men 70 years and older. Population studies conducted in the Netherlands state that some degree of Erectile Dysfunction occurred in 20% of men between ages 50 to 54 and in 50% of men between ages 70 to 78. In 1999, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey counted 1,520,000 doctor-office visits for Erectile Dysfunction.

Causes of impotence

There can be a number of reasons for impotence in men. They may be medical reasons as well as unhealthy life style. Also, the causes of Erectile Dysfunction may be physiological or psychological. Psychological impotence can often be helped by almost anything that the patient believes in as there is a very strong placebo effect.
The most important cause of the development of ED is the presence of illnesses like:

• high blood pressure
• diabetes mellitus
• high cholesterol levels
• cardiovascular disease

These diseases, if not cured for a long time, can lead to a degeneration of the penile blood vessels, leading to restriction of blood inflow through the arteries and also to leakage of blood through the veins during erection.
There may be numerous other causes which lead to impotence in men and cause degeneration of the erectile tissue and the development of ED. They may include:

• Smoking, drug or alcohol abuse, particularly over a long period of time, will compromise the blood vessels of the penis.
• Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle will contribute to the development of ED.

Improvement in these conditions will contribute to overall health and may relieve some individuals from mild impotence. Treatment of many medical conditions can interfere with normal erections. Drugs used to treat these risk factors sometimes also lead to or worsen ED. Patients undergoing surgery or radiation therapy for cancer of the prostate, bladder, colon or rectum are at high risk for the development of ED.