Erectile dysfunction (ED) means an inability to get a good enough erection to have sexual intercourse. This can be either the inability to get a ‘hard-on’, or it is not firm enough to penetrate the partner, perhaps some can manage penetration but lose the erection. ED is very common and occurs in men of all ages.

In younger men the commonest cause is anxiety, probably about having sex, worry about causing pregnancy, or the use of a condom.

In middle age the most common causes can be overwork, stress, or bereavement, perhaps when the man tries to engage in a new relationship. A small number of cases can be due to diabetes.

For the older man, ED becomes more common with increasing age. This is the main due to the deterioration of the blood vessels that carry blood to the penis, although there may, and can be many other causes.

To understand the problems of ED it is important to know how an erection occurs. This happens when blood is pumped into the penis making it hard. It normally happens when the man is either thinking about sex, or his penis is being stimulated. The result is that signals are sent down the spinal cord to the genitals which tell the blood vessels to open up and the organ blows up like a balloon.

The causes of ED are not just psychological as described above, but can be physical, or a combination of both. Some of the more common physical problems are as follows:

Smoking. Nicotine is known to narrow the vital blood vessels.
Diabetes
Alcohol (Brewers droop)
Obesity
Medication Known side effects of certain drugs usually prescribed for blood pressure and depression.
Recreational Drugs The effects of taking cocaine etc.

So we see that the above are some of the more common causes of failing to get, or keep an erection. However, following research and development by companies such as Pfizer, their product Viagra, can now be bought on line through reputable outlets such as UK Medix and safely used to alleviate the problems of ED.