Intro: The Subject of Erectile Dysfunction
Defining Erectile Dysfunction
Approximately 5% of men suffer from erectile dysfunction by the age of 40 and 15 to 25% of men over 65. A recent study has shown that it even affects many younger men as well. 1 out of 4 men under 40 are now suffering from this emasculating ailment. While it may be a major source of stress and affects our self-worth; it’s not the end of the world. It is not a permanent condition and can be treated with a little bit of research and exercises that could eliminate this problem for good. Men seem to think that, when they suffer from erectile dysfunction, their life as a virile man is over. Simply understanding the condition can go a long way towards eliminating it completely.
Many men have temporary problems with achieving an erection and don’t have ED at all. One of the most common causes of this is alcohol, which is where the term “whiskey dick” came from. If a man consumes too much alcohol or drugs, it can affect his ability to perform sexually. This is a whole other issue that is even easier to remedy. Simply don’t drink as much if you plan on having sex.
So let’s address erectile dysfunction. We will start with the definition and what causes it. Then we will move on to how it affects your life. It is a condition that can have an adverse effect on you as well as the people around you. It can affect your relationships with others without you even realizing it. When you have a complete understanding of what it is and how it affects your life; we can move on to how you can treat it. You might be shocked and pleased at how much this book can do for your sex life.
Let’s move on and get a clear definition of exactly what erectile dysfunction is.
Characteristics of Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile Dysfunction occurs when a man is not able to maintain an erection long enough to satisfy his partner. This can be used to describe the sex life of some selfish men who only care about their own satisfaction, but we are talking about an involuntary sexual reaction where blood flow is not maintained in the penis. The man is no longer able to continue sexual intercourse because of the premature loss of his erection.
To understand how erectile dysfunction works; you must first understand the details of how you get an erection in the first place. An erection is achieved when the shaft of the penis is filled with blood until it is erect. To maintain an erection; the blood must stay in the shaft. There is soft tissue that runs along the length of the shaft called corpora cavernosa. This tissue holds a network of blood vessels that carry blood to the shaft and holds it there.
When you get an erection; the network of blood vessels in the corpora cavernosa become loose and open to leave room for the blood to accumulate. The blood rushes in quickly through various sexual stimuli and fills these pockets that are left by the relaxing of the vessels. The pressure of the erection tends to stop the blood flow at a certain point. Now you have your erection, but the trick is to maintain it and keep the blood trapped in the shaft for as long as possible.
When a man functions normally sexually; his brain receives sexual stimuli. The brain sends messages down through your intricate series of nerves all the way to the nerves in your penis. Your brain stimulates your blood vessels and sends blood to the penis. The corpora cavernosa receive the message and open up to leave room for the blood that’s rushing in. The nerves in the penis that trigger the blood flow are called neurotransmitters. When the corpora cavernosa tissue fills up with blood; the vessels that carry blood out of the penis are closed. The penis becomes full of blood and becomes bigger and harder. If you have problems with any of this intricate series of blood vessels, it could cause problems with achieving and maintaining an erection.
Broken down to its most basic form; erectile dysfunction is just a problem with blood flow. If blood flow is the only problem; it would make sense that it can be fairly easily remedied. You don’t have to be sad or angry about it. You don’t have to let it affect relationships in your life and lower your self-esteem. You can fix it and understanding it is the first step.
You don’t have to stress yourself out and beat yourself up if you can’t achieve an erection every time. Some men who functions normally during sex even fail to achieve an erection from time to time. Various stimuli involved can contribute to it and affects each individual differently. If you achieve and maintain an erection about 80% of the time, it is completely normal. When the number starts getting down around 50%, you might have a problem.