Most cases of ED are caused by physical problems alone or in combination with emotional ones. Just about any medical condition that affects your nerves or blood vessels could hurt your ability to have erections. High blood pressure, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, kidney disease, and diabetes can all lead to ED.
Making simple lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and limiting your alcohol consumption, might be enough to improve your ED.
Physical causes can include vascular disease, damage to the nerves involved in getting erections, low testosterone, and side effects of certain medications. Additionally, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease lists numerous other health conditions related to erectile dysfunction.
Recent studies have found that exercise, especially moderate to vigorous aerobic activity, can improve erectile dysfunction. Even less strenuous, regular exercise might reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction. Increasing your level of activity might also further reduce your risk.
Physical issues like heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking can all cause erectile dysfunction. On the other hand, depression, anxieties, stress, relationship problems, and other mental health concerns can also interfere with sexual feelings.
When you have trouble achieving or maintaining an erection with a partner, it can be embarrassing – especially if it is happening for the first time. When something like this happens, it is easy to close yourself off and wallow in your worry and self-pity.
It could be an early warning sign of other potential health problems. And erectile dysfunction is unlikely to resolve without some treatment or lifestyle changes.
Viagra is a brand-name prescription drug that's approved to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). With ED, you're unable to have or maintain an erection. Viagra is approved for this use in males ages 18 years and older.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of sildenafil (brand name Viagra) only in “men” older than 18 years.
Many people think of erectile problems as an older adult's issue, but they can affect younger males, as well. According to some estimates, ED affects 8% of males aged 20–29 years and 11% of those aged 30–39 years.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) can last a few months to years. Depending on the underlying cause, you may have ED for the rest of your life. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), your erectile problems need to occur for at least six months to count as ED.
Just like morning wood is normal, it's also perfectly normal to sometimes wake up without an erection. However, if you often wake up without an erection, or if you notice a sudden drop in nighttime or morning erections, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue that might be causing erectile dysfunction (ED).
Generally, Viagra lasts around four hours. So it's important you don't take Viagra too long before you want to have sex, for example don't take Viagra in the morning if you expect to have sex at night. It's likely if you leave it that long, the effects of Viagra will have worn off.
Viagra does not stimulate you sexually, it can only help you get an erection once you're already aroused. Because Viagra only helps you to get an erection by improving blood flow to the penis, it doesn't force you to get an erection, so it won't work unless you're sexually stimulated.
There could be a number of contributing factors for this. Your partner may be curious about the extent to which his performance will be enhanced; he may be experiencing peer pressure; or if he has had too much to drink, he may take the medication to combat the negative impacts of alcohol on performance.
Some people use Viagra when they don't have ED, but this isn't recommended and can be risky. While there may be some undesired effects, there may be additional risks with how the medication is purchased. For example, there are legitimate pharmacies that legally dispense Viagra if you have a prescription.
Some causes of ED are easier to “cure” than others. But, with the right diagnosis, support, and treatment, it's often possible for erectile dysfunction to go away permanently — even without the need for ED medications like Viagra (sildenafil) or Cialis (tadalafil).
If you frequently struggle to get an erection, or if you can't maintain one during sex, the cause is more likely to be an underlying physical condition, or an ongoing emotional health issue. One really common cause of ED in both the long and short term is stress.
Be open about the situation – You may want to hide the problem from your partner, but discussing the issue can take some of the pressure off. Simply say you need a little longer to get hard and focus on foreplay and you could find your erection will come on its own.
"Tell him it's really OK if the two of you don't have intercourse tonight. Maybe he's not ready yet,"—and "yet" is the key word. Sometimes, he says, just removing that pressure makes the penis change its mind. "If that happens, tell him you're happy he's feeling better."
You can experience erectile dysfunction in your 20s; it is normal and common. Many things could be causing your ED, including lifestyle factors, medications, or psychological stress. Overall, there is no need to worry, as there are many changes you can make and medications you can take to help manage your ED.
Almost all cases of erectile dysfunction are treatable, and treatment can lead to better overall physical and emotional health for nearly every patient as well as improve intimacy for couples.