Causes Of Erectile Dysfunction: Mens Sexual Health

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Causes of erectile dysfunction

In the past, it was thought that most cases of erectile dysfunction were psychological in origin, the result of such demons as performance anxiety or more generalized stress. While these factors can cause erectile dysfunction, doctors now think that 70% of the time the problem can be traced to a physical condition that restricts blood flow, hampers nerve functioning, or both. Such conditions include diabetes, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and alcoholism.

But it would be misleading to regard this condition as either psychological or physical. Often the two go hand in hand. In fact, more than 80% of men who have erectile difficulties as a reaction to an underlying physical illness go on to develop psychological issues that further hamper erections. For example, a man may develop erectile dysfunction as a side effect of a drug, and then become so anxious about his sexual performance that he continues to have trouble with erections even after he stops using the drug. In such cases, a combination of medical treatment and counseling is often most effective. Counseling often involves the man's spouse or regular sexual partner.

Following are the main causes of erectile dysfunction. These may operate alone or in combination.

Last updated:	September 05, 2008