Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem that affects about 18 million American men over the age of 20. Some people think the real number is closer to 30 million, which may be because not all of the cases are being reported.
As you age, your chance of having ED goes up. But age isn’t always the reason why men can’t keep an erection going. A lot of guys will have ED at some point. The good news is that your Erectile dysfunction is typically due to a treatable condition.
There are both mental and physical things that can lead to ED. How well you care for physical causes depends on how you are. Studies show that the most common cause of ED is psychological. Most emotions and environmental factors that lead to psychological problems can be fixed. This includes things like stress and worry.
Stress and worry can also make you more likely to get other diseases that can cause ED, like:
- Heart trouble
- blood pressure is too high
- high amounts of cholesterol
- too fat
- drinking too much booze
Read on to find out how stress and anxiety can lead to ED, how to deal with stress and anxiety, and how to avoid ED.
How do stress and anxiety cause erectile dysfunction?
There are three different kinds of erections:
- reactive (because of a physical trigger)
- psychogenic (caused by mental or visual links)
- nighttime (when you sleep)
These kinds of erections involve systems and processes in the body that are very important. Any of these things going wrong can lead to ED.
These include:
- nervous system
- blood vessels
- muscles
- hormones
- emotions
Conditions like stress and worry can also change how your brain tells your body what to do physically. Stress and worry can stop your brain from sending messages to the penis to let more blood flow when you have an erection.
Stress and worry about ED can also keep the problem going in a loop. ED can cause changes in behaviour that make worry worse and make ED more likely to happen. Different age groups have different reasons for ED, but in general, they are:
- Anxiety and nervousness are the main causes of psychological ED in teenagers and young men, which affects about 90% of them. These things don’t last very long.
- The main cause of ED in middle-aged guys is stress, such as problems at work or in a relationship.
- The most common reason for mental stress in older men is physical impotence, but the loss of a partner and being alone can also cause mental stress.
Events like the ones below can also cause enough stress and worry to cause ED.
- job problems, loss, or stress
- relationship problems and conflicts
- illness or loss of a loved one
- fear of ageing
- changes in health
- financial burdens
Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that PTSD more than tripled the chance of sexual problems. Long-term worry and anxiety can make your body produce more of certain hormones and mess up how your body works. This can also cause other health problems that could lead to ED.
Health conditions that can cause ED
Stress and worry can also lead to a number of health problems. A 2013 study shows that ED may also be a sign of heart disease in the future.
ED is also linked to the following health problems:
- vascular disease
- nerve damage
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- obesity
- diabetes
- low testosterone
- metabolic syndrome
- prostate cancer or enlarged prostate
- certain prescription medications
Stress and nervousness can lead to things in life that can make ED worse, such as:
- illicit drug use
- tobacco use
- excessive alcohol consumption
- a sedentary lifestyle
Most of the time, psychological ED goes away over time. Talk to your doctor if you have ED that doesn’t go away to find out what treatments you can try. Your treatment will depend on what is making you feel anxious and stressed.
Easing stress and anxiety to treat erectile dysfunction
Getting treatment
Most of the time, therapy is used to treat the psychological reasons for ED. Therapy can help you stop the cycle of stress, worry, and eating disorders. There are,
Getting advice:
You will work with a therapist to figure out and deal with the main causes of your stress or worry so that you can deal with them.
Psychodynamic counselling:
Most of the time, this means figuring out the cause of your ED by resolving a problem in your mind.
Sex counselling:
This treatment is more about feeling good than about getting excited or doing sexual things. Its goal is to lower stress by helping people build a more stable and secure sexual life.
Therapy for sexual anxiety:
Your doctor will tell you everything about ED. This can help cut down on problems and fears that come from not knowing enough. Then your doctor will talk to you about how you feel and help you find a way to deal with it. Solutions can range from trying to calm down to getting the mind going again.
Different treatments
Other types of therapies may also be beneficial for reducing stress and worry. Some modern methods are:
- relaxation techniques
- meditation
- yoga
- acupuncture
These treatments might help you deal with your worries and stress. Research shows that meditation can change the way your brain works and make you feel less stressed.
Your doctor can assist you
Most treatments for ED work very well. Doctors recommend medicines like Cenforce 100, Aurogra 100, and Fildena purple pills to help with erectile dysfunction (ED). ED can be treated with this medicine. If you tell your doctor about your problems right away, they can help you find a treatment faster. This is a big reason why it’s important to talk to your doctor about ED issues. If your doctor can figure out why you have ED, he or she may be able to find and treat other health problems you may be having.