Physical Causes of Impotence and Possible Treatments

Impotence is a problem that affects many men at one time or another. For some, it will be a temporary issue that will quickly resolve itself. For others, the problem may be psychological in nature, and will require counseling or medication to put a man back on the right track to a healthy sex life. For another segment of men, there is a physical cause for the impotence that they are experiencing. In this instance, it is important to see your doctor for a thorough workup in order to receive an appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Physical causes of impotence can signify that another medical issue is occurring, so it is important to see your doctor for this problem.

What are the Physical Causes of Impotence?

Impotence is generally regarded as the inability of a man to have and maintain an erection long enough for sexual intercourse. The process of an erection occurs in three specific steps. The first step is sexual arousal, and occurs through touch, sight, smell or thoughts. Second, the arousal is communicated from the brain to the nervous system, allowing for increased blood flow to the penile area. Finally, the blood vessels to this area actually relax, allowing for even more blood flow and the erection to occur. A physical cause of impotence can wreak havoc with any one of these steps, making it difficult or impossible for the process to complete itself.

Many of the physical causes of impotence stem from a preexisting illness such as multiple sclerosis or diabetes. It can also be a result of a physical injury, too much smoking or alcohol, or certain types of medications. Some types of surgery or radiation therapy can also be physical causes of impotence. If you think that your impotence is caused by a physical factor, it is important to see your doctor so that he can determine the exact cause. This is important for the process of determining and administering the best treatment plan to correct the impotence issue. Different problems will certainly require different solutions.

Physical Causes of Impotence and Treatment Options

Sometimes a treatment for a physical cause of impotence will be as simple as changing the dose or drug of a prescription medication. Treatment plans can also include medications like Viagra, which will relax the muscles of the penis and allow for maximum blood flow to occur. This allows an erection to occur naturally once the optimum conditions are established. Other treatments will bring on an erection that will be sustained long enough for sexual intercourse to take place. Another option is surgery that will correct any defects in the vascular system that inhibits the blood flow to this area. The good news is that for as many physical causes of impotence as there are to diagnose, there are almost as many treatment plans available as well.