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What are the causes of Impotence?
When an erection begins, the man's penis becomes filled with blood as blood vessels are enlarged to allow for an increased flow. Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, can sometimes occur when the erection process is interrupted. For an erection to take place, a precise series of events occur, which begin with nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column and in the area surrounding the penis itself. As those nerve impulses begin to signal interest in sexual activity, the muscles, fibrous tissues, veins and articles respond and an erection takes place. However, if any of those signals are disrupted, it can result in erectile dysfunction instead of an erection.
In some cases, impotence may be caused by a disease, such as diabetes, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, vascular disease, chronic alcoholism, or neurologic disease. Other possible causes of male impotence include recent surgery, especially radical prostate or bladder surgery for cancer. If any areas surrounding the penis were injured during surgery, problems with erectile dysfunction could result.
Injury to the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder and pelvis can lead to erectile dysfunction by harming nerves, smooth muscles, arteries and fibrous tissues of the area around the penis.
Another common cause of male impotence are problems associated with prescription drugs that affect nerve centers. Blood pressure medication, antidepressants, antihistamines, tranquilizers and other prescription drugs can produce erectile dysfunction in men. In still other cases, the cause may be attributed to psychological factors, including stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, or even fear of sexual failure.
Male impotence can also be caused by problems with the prostate, including an enlarged prostate, a prostate infection or prostate cancer. Every year, more than 2 million American men are diagnosed with prostatitis, a term that means "inflammation of the prostate." A few men with prostatitis have clear signs of a bacterial infection of the prostate. Doctors call this condition bacterial prostatitis. In roughly 90 to 95 percent of cases of prostatitis, however, there's no clear sign of infection. Doctors call this chronic nonbacterial prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Sometimes men suffering from prostate problems will have difficulty getting and sustaining an erection.
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