Erectile dysfunction, impotence causes and risk factors

W większości przypadków impotence pojawia się na skutek dwóch lub więcej współwystępujących czynników, dlatego w jej leczeniu niezmiernie ważna jest poprawnie wykonana diagnostics.

The causes of impotence can be divided into 7 basic groups:

• psychogenic,
• neurogenic,
• hormonal,
• vascular,
• occurring as a result of taking medications, iatrogenic and others.

The occurrence of individual causes of erectile dysfunction is strongly related to individual patient characteristics such as:

• age,
• weight
• way of life.

In the article you will find:

• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE PSYCHOGENIC CAUSES

• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE NEUROGENIC CAUSES

• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE HORMONAL CAUSES

• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE VASCULAR CAUSES

• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE DRUG-RELATED CAUSES

• ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE, IATROGENIC CAUSES AND OTHER

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE PSYCHOGENIC CAUSES

One of the most common causes of erectile dysfunction is psychological problems. In most cases, they are related to concerns about sexual intercourse (e.g., unplanned impregnation of a partner or infection with a sexually transmitted disease) or lack of experience. Such problems mainly concern young men, but they can also appear in adult men who live in stress, are in unsatisfying relationships, suffer from depression or have negative experiences in the sexual sphere. Psychogenic erectile dysfunction is also more common in men with a neurotic personality.

Psychogenic erectile dysfunction can be suspected in men who experience so-called morning erections or in men who have no problem achieving an erection during self-masturbation. The diagnosis of psychogenic erectile dysfunction is made based on an interview conducted by a clinical psychologist and on specially selected psychological diagnostic tests, but only after other possible causes of this condition have been excluded.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE NEUROGENIC CAUSES

In the group of patients with neurogenic causes of impotence the transmission of impulses to the appropriate nerve endings is generally impaired or blocked. This prevents the initiation of the basic biochemical reaction resulting in the dilation of blood vessels and increased blood flow to the penis. Erectile dysfunction of neurogenic origin may occur due to the degradation of the myelin sheath of nerves (e.g. in patients with multiple sclerosis), damage to neurons by excess glucose molecules (so-called diabetic neuropathy) or due to the disruption of the neural connection (e.g. in spinal cord injuries). Neurogenic erectile dysfunction is one of the most difficult to cure, because the disease processes occurring in the nervous system are difficult to reverse, and the nervous system itself is characterized by poor regenerative capabilities.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE HORMONAL CAUSES

Hormonal imbalances in the body usually occur as a result of dysregulation of the endocrine glands (e.g. thyroid or pituitary gland) or due to gonadal pathology. When the production of sex hormones is impaired, their level in the blood drops, which can result in a decrease in libido and problems with achieving and maintaining an erection. Not only can the level of sex hormones be the cause of erectile dysfunction - incorrect values ​​of hormones such as prolactin or TSH and incorrect values ​​of the SHBG protein can also affect the development of sexual dysfunction.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE VASCULAR CAUSES

Erectile dysfunction of vascular origin is divided into three types. The first of these are disorders resulting from congenital malformations of the blood vessels that supply or drain blood to the penis.

The second type of vascular erectile dysfunction, which are the damages to blood vessels at the level of the main arteries, occurs most often in patients with atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries reduce their lumen and prevent proper blood flow to the corpora cavernosa of the penis, and atherosclerotic plaques can calcify, which further reduces the ability of the smooth muscle of the arteries to relax properly. This type of disorder most often occurs in people with too much body weight and in people who smoke tobacco products. Due to genetic factors, this type of disorder can also occur in people who are not in higher risk groups.

The third and most common vascular cause of erectile dysfunction is damage at the level of microvessels. Such problems are characteristic for men over 40, diabetics, people with hypertension or ischemic heart disease. Microvascular problems are most often associated with impaired endothelial function due to changes related to the aging process or those that occur as a result of the disease process. The most effective method of treating microvascular disorders is the LSWT Renova wave treatment.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE DRUG-RELATED CAUSES

There are a number of medications that affect the ability to achieve and maintain an erection. These are primarily medications used to treat mental illnesses, hormonal disorders, cancer, and vascular and heart disease. Since medications used to treat various conditions can interact undesirably, it is extremely important to select the right medications for patients taking more than one medication at the same time. Unfortunately, when planning therapy, doctors of various specialties often ignore the possibility of interactions between prescribed medications and medications already taken by the patient. Such action can significantly reduce the patient's quality of life, and it is for this reason that holistic diagnostics that take into account the patient's entire disease profile are extremely important.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, IMPOTENCE, IATROGENIC CAUSES AND OTHER

Erectile dysfunction in men can also be caused by medical malpractice and other factors or diseases. The most common are:

• genital injury
• prostate enlargement
• heavy cigarette smoking
• alcohol abuse
• taking drugs or other psychoactive substances
• fibrosis of the corpora cavernosa of the penis due to untreated priapism (erection lasting continuously longer than 4 hours)