What causes a decrease in potency in men

Another well-known psychotherapist Sigmund Freud called potency disorders the most common failure in the life of any man. And what is surprising is that many, many years have passed since then, and this statement still remains relevant.

Modern medicine has learned to solve problems with potency, there are many diagnostic and treatment technologies. But until today, for a man, any difficulties in the intimate sphere have a strong blow to pride and self-confidence.

Causes of a decrease in potency in men

To dispel a number of myths related to this problem, first let's talk a little about statistics.

Do you know that:

• 20% of men experience erectile dysfunction;
• 10% of men turn to a specialist with sexual problems;
• 80% of men note a decrease in potency associated with physiological disorders of the body;
• In 90% of cases, erectile dysfunction is completely treatable.
• Agree, on the one hand - not everything is as scary as it seemed, on the other - the presence of physiological causes of erectile dysfunction is a good reason to suspect any disease.
• So, the organic causes of impotence may be as follows.
• Vascular. Damage to the vascular walls leads to disruption of the blood supply to the penis, and consequently, to a decrease in potency. Diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and other diseases lead to vascular problems.
• Hormonal. Lack of testosterone (hypogonadism) is often observed in middle-aged and elderly men. The production of testosterone can also be interfered with by an excess of its antagonist, prolactin.
• Iatrogenic. Sluggish potency develops against the background of a man taking medications prescribed, for example, for peptic ulcers, cardiovascular diseases, and gout. Cancellation of drugs or their replacement with analogues will help to solve the problem.
• Neurogenic. Erectile dysfunction occurs as a result of previous diseases, strokes, injuries of the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. In ¾ of cases, the reasons for the decrease in potency are spinal cord injuries, ¼ - intervertebral hernia, neoplasms, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. The erection weakens due to difficult passage into the cavernous bodies or the complete absence of nerve impulses.

Lifestyle and potency disorders

Very often, men forget that sexual strength is largely influenced by how a person takes care of himself and his overall health.

It's no secret that smoking and regular alcohol consumption are one of the main causes of sexual failure. Also, men's health is affected by the presence of stress, frequent visits to the bath, improper diet. Eating an excessive amount of fatty foods (and even together with alcohol intake), a man provokes an increase in body weight and an increase in the production of female sex hormones. As a result, this lifestyle can lead not only to erectile dysfunction, but also to infertility.

Psychological causes of weak potency

This type of primary source of problems with erectile function is worth considering separately. Young people are more likely to suffer from such disorders, in most cases - those who are just starting to have a sexual life.

The reasons for poor potency in this case may lie:

• in the presence of childhood or adolescent psychological trauma, when parents inspired their child that sex is something shameful, unworthy;
• in experiences due to the lack of one's own experience, and therefore in fear of being ridiculed;
• in fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases;
• in fears associated with an unwanted pregnancy of a partner, etc.

According to experts, an adult man who has sufficient sexual experience behind him is quite capable of solving the psychological problems of erectile dysfunction. But young men often cannot do without professional help.

Remarkably, relationships with a partner can become both a cause of problems (if they are not close enough), and a means of getting rid of impotence (if they are warm, sincere).

Another important fact. If psychological factors can be the cause of weak potency in themselves, then organic erectile dysfunction is always accompanied by a psychogenic component. As a result, after eliminating the root cause of the problems, psychological difficulties come to the fore and interfere with the normal sexual life of a man.

How to identify the cause of erectile dysfunction

• Urogenital diseases are diagnosed by an andrologist or urologist. You will need to take a blood test, sperm and biological smears, and undergo an ultrasound.
• Hormonal disorders will be detected by an endocrinologist. The doctor will recommend to undergo an ultrasound examination and computed tomography of the endocrine glands, donate blood for hormones.
• Vascular disorders will be determined by a vascular surgeon. Studies are carried out by means of Doppler ultrasound and functional tests showing the level of blood supply to the penis.
• Diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nervous system will help to identify a neurologist. You will be assigned electroencephalography, tomography of the spinal cord and brain, rheoencephalography, electromyography.
• The psychological causes of sexual disorders can only be found by a psychotherapist, psychiatrist or sexologist. Diagnostic methods in this case are psychological testing, conversations with the patient.

5 main causes of problems with potency: Age has nothing to do with it!

Age, fatigue, lack of sleep, stress. Forget those words! None of these conditions affect potency and libido if the man is physically healthy.

If you decide to try various erection stimulants (pharmacy and not), do not be too lazy to start to figure out what actually causes "misfires".

Hormonal imbalance, or where do men get female hormones from?

What are we talking about?Decreased levels of male hormones and/or increased levels of female hormones.

Who is guilty?Normally, the body of a man produces a large amount of male hormones and a small amount of female ones. Alcohol, smoking, malnutrition, irregular sex life, beriberi, liver disease - all this (and not only! ) sooner or later leads to:

• the production of male sex hormones is reduced,
• and the production of women, on the contrary, may increase.

Of course, this is not good.

What to do?

1. Pass special tests. Find out exactly which hormones are lacking, and which ones are "going wild".
2. Establish the scope of the problem.
3. Replenish your body with the missing hormones.
4. Suppress the production of excessive amounts of female hormones.
5. Restore the body's ability to produce hormones in the right amount (no more and no less).

What kind of tests should be done?Donating biomaterials for everything is an unpleasant and expensive occupation. Ask a urologist. He will conduct an examination, analyze your complaints and tell you what tests to pass.

Then he will select the hormone-containing preparations that suit you. Or he will prescribe a treatment so that the body "remembers" how much hormones need to be produced.

What is the prognosis? With a properly selected treatment course and the implementation of the doctor's recommendations, the prognosis is positive - potency, as a rule, is restored. Any age.

Infections of various origins

What are we talking about?Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or infections that are in the body "in a dormant state", waking up under certain conditions.

Who is guilty?Infections and harmful bacteria can appear mainly for two reasons:

1. Doubtful "contacts" without means of protection.
2. The reproduction of microorganisms that constantly live inside any person in small quantities. Typically, such microorganisms awaken in diseases of the internal organs, when the immune system weakens.

What to do?Both need to be identified and destroyed. The earlier the better.

What tests to take?There are many types of infectious diseases. Taking tests for all types is a waste of time and money. Visit a urologist, list all your symptoms to him, tell him in detail about your feelings when urinating, during or after sexual intercourse, undergo an examination and ultrasound.

An experienced urologist will collect all this information and make a list of necessary laboratory tests. Then, based on their results, he will establish a diagnosis and prescribe drugs and procedures.

What is the prognosis?Today, the vast majority of infectious lesions are perfectly treatable.

Inflammation: From pain to impotence - 1 step!

What are we talking about?Prostatitis, epididymitis, urethritis, vesiculitis, cystitis and others - all, as you noticed, with the suffix "-IT". Conditions that bring men suffering from pain, cramps, burning, high fever and other unpleasant sensations.

These sensations can occur during or after urination, during sexual intercourse or in the process of ejaculation, while walking, lifting weights, and even at rest.

Who is guilty?Quite often the man himself is to blame. Hypothermia and, conversely, overheating, ignoring the first symptoms of diseases (not only urological, the cause of inflammation can even be untreated dental caries), unhealthy habits, casual relationships, infections, attempts at self-medication, uncontrolled intake of antibiotics and other drugs.

All this gradually accumulates - until a focus of inflammation is formed in one of the organs.

What to do?Diagnose and treat. The sooner, the less damage will be done to the body. Inflammations cause problems not only with potency - they can lead to infertility. The ideal option is to have time to recover in the acute stage. But this is not always the case - often people come to the doctor already with a chronic form.

What is the prognosis?Acute inflammation can be cured fairly quickly. And if you take care of yourself and do not neglect the doctor's recommendations, then relapses (repeated exacerbations) may not occur.

Chronic inflammation is also treatable. But the treatment takes a little longer. And there is a high probability of repeated exacerbations as a result of colds or stress.

Vascular problems: No blood - no erection!

What are we talking about?Partial or complete blockage of the vessels of the penis due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

What's happening?A normal erection requires fast blood flow to the penis. If there are atherosclerotic plaques or blood clots in the blood vessels, the movement of blood slows down, and the potency worsens. Complete blockage of blood vessels leads to absolute impotence.

Who is guilty?Improper diet, sedentary lifestyle, bad habits, too frequent, or vice versa, too rare sexual contacts, diseases of the cardiovascular system, pressure surges, etc.

What to do?Look for the reason. Together with the urologist. Usually, special hardware studies are carried out for this:

1. Dopplerography of vessels
2. Erectile function test
3. Biothesiometry

What is the prognosis?Depending on the condition of your vessels, they must either be freed from atherosclerotic plaques or new vessels should be grown. How the method is more suitable in your case - the doctor will determine.

Comprehensive apparatus treatment is needed - vacuum LOD therapy, shock wave therapy, magneto-laser therapy. A good effect is achieved when these techniques are combined with PRP therapy and intravenous injections.

The first positive results appear almost immediately. It is important not to stop at this stage, otherwise everything will return to normal very quickly. Do not be lazy, go through the treatment course completely to consolidate the effect for a long time.

Diseases of the lumbosacral spine

What are we talking about?Diseases of the spine in the lumbar and / or sacral regions directly affect the health of the pelvic organs in men.

What's happening?Due to osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, displacement of the vertebrae, blood circulation is disturbed, nerve endings may be infringed. This causes pain and numbness. And as a result - violations of potency.

What to do?Undergo a course of treatment jointly with a urologist and a neurologist - here you need medicines, and massage, and acupuncture, and specially designed exercises, and physiotherapy (magnet, UVT, laser). Such therapy quickly relieves pain, helps restore normal urination, improves blood circulation and restores lost sensitivity.

What is the prognosis?If you have not brought yourself to the point where you need spinal surgery, then the prognosis is very comforting. With simultaneous treatment by a neurologist and a urologist, a fairly quick recovery and restoration of potency is possible.

If you are shown surgery on the spine, then the recovery will be much longer and rather complicated. Do not bring to the operation - consult a doctor in time!

Examination by a urologist for problems with potency

Primary appointment with a urologist-andrologist

• Inspection
• prostate ultrasound
• bladder ultrasound
• Doppler study of blood vessels - for problems with potency
• Erectile function test - for problems with potency
• Biothesiometry - for problems with potency and early ejaculation
• Doctor's consultation, evaluation of examination results

Erectile dysfunction: types, causes and methods of treatment

Men of any nationality, wherever they live and whatever age they are, are worried about problems with their own penis. They are especially frightened when the erect penis is not hard enough, not "workable" and it is impossible to have sexual intercourse. This disorder is called erectile dysfunction or impotence.

It should be noted that almost all representatives of the strong half of humanity from 20 years and older face poor-quality erections. But it is possible to assume the presence of this disorder of sexual function only if 25% of cases of intimate communication are defective (every fourth sexual intercourse occurs with a "misfire").

Erectile dysfunction becomes a real tragedy for a man, he suffers from it physically and psychologically, so it should be treated immediately.

Characteristics and symptoms of impotence

There are such signs of erectile dysfunction:

• lack of sexual desire. The unwillingness of intimacy, that is, a violation of libido, occurs with a decrease in the production of testosterone (male hormone), depression due to stress, frequent fatigue, a bad state after a quarrel with a sexual partner;
• sluggish erection, as a consequence of vascular disease, etc. ;
• lack of ejaculation due to psychological factors;
• anorgasmia - the absence of orgasm, as a rule, is also associated with psychology.

The types of disorder are determined by its causes:

• organic - autoimmune diseases, hypertension, diabetes and a number of other serious diseases;
• psychogenic - problems with a partner, overstrain, stress;
• mixed.

According to statistics, almost 80% of cases of erectile dysfunction are associated with organic problems.

Each of the above types has its own characteristics. Psychological impotence appears suddenly, immediately, but the erection in the morning remains at the proper level and the excitation of the penis persists throughout the entire sexual intercourse.

Organic erectile dysfunction manifests itself gradually. Sexual desire is present, orgasm occurs, but the penis loses its hardness in the process of intimacy. Every day the erection weakens. This indicates the presence of a disease.

With the mixed nature of the disorder, the two aforementioned factors appear simultaneously for appropriate reasons.

Causes of impotence

It is advisable to list the most common causes of this disorder of male sexual function:

1. Taking medications or certain other substances. We are talking about the use of drugs that reduce the activity of the cerebral cortex and thereby reduce the production of testosterone, antidepressants, anti-allergens, etc. This also includes alcohol and drugs.
2. Psychological factors are standard - depression, constant stress, severe neuroses. Inconsistencies in addictions and desires in sex with a partner or a bad relationship with her, fear of failure in sexual intercourse, banal fatigue at work. A lot depends on the partner - her excessive perseverance or the "wrong" word that has flown out can contribute to a weakening of the erection.
3. Various neurological diseases, circulatory disorders, injuries of the penis, pelvis or perineum, etc.
4. Abnormal functionality of the endocrine system implies a violation of the production of the male hormone, which is caused by genetic failures, tumors, infections, and advanced age. Obesity also changes the hormonal background, and since this problem has now also affected young representatives of the strong half of humanity, doctors are concerned that impotence is increasingly being diagnosed in this part of the population.

In addition to the above, epilepsy, penis trauma, and vascular sclerosis can contribute to the onset of impotence. The latter disrupts the blood flow to the genitals through the arteries, which is necessary for an erection, so it is either weak or completely absent. In addition, problems with the veins lead to the rapid excitation of the penis, but it quickly disappears and the sexual intercourse cannot be completed normally.

Difficulties with blood vessels are generally dangerous for the male population of the Earth. Violation of their inner shell is common for people suffering from autoimmune diseases, as well as for those who smoke a lot. There is also a disease called penial angiospasm, characterized by impaired blood circulation in the vessels of the penis.

Be careful with manhood

The cause of impotence is sometimes congenital anomalies of the penis. Such is the rare Peyronie's disease - the opening of the urethra is located incorrectly.

Another natural violation is a defect in the frenulum, a longitudinal skin fold. It is located between the head of the penis and the foreskin and has the following purpose: when excited, open the head, regulate its bend and prevent it from moving. If the frenulum is short, then the man will experience pain during intercourse, even spotting may appear.

In addition, such a defect leads to early ejaculation, so a man gets used to restrain himself during sex in order to prolong it. As a result, this is fraught with erectile dysfunction in a stable form. Everything can be corrected very quickly and easily by dissecting the frenulum surgically. The operation is simple, takes little time and is well practiced.

Separately, it should be said about injuries of the genital organ (bruises, burns, gunshot and stab wounds, accidents) leading to impotence. If you receive them, you should immediately consult a doctor for help, and the sooner this is done, the more likely it is to avoid complete irreversible erectile dysfunction.

• fracture of the penis during rough intercourse, blow or bending. There is a dangerous rupture of the cavernous bodies for potency, there is severe pain, a hematoma, the organ swells. Depending on the severity of the situation, compresses or surgery may be prescribed as treatment;
• injury from a fall, exercise, in a fight. Such a closed injury violates the urethra, is manifested by a hematoma, pain when walking. Treatment - non-steroidal analgesics, compresses, rarely - surgery;
• burns from chemicals, boiling water, ultraviolet rays;
• subcutaneous hemorrhage, in which blood vessels are damaged, swelling occurs. It is dangerous because during healing, scars can form that can become an obstacle to blood flow, without which an erection is impossible. A cold compress may help.

Impotence can be caused by a combination of anatomical and psychological factors: a person after an injury had sex and experienced very severe pain. In the future, on a subconscious level, he will be afraid to have sexual intercourse, which, sooner or later, will generally lead to the impossibility of an erection.

Hypothetically dangerous and some operations. So, the famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, the author of the world-famous musicals "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera", declared publicly: he is impotent and became so after the operation - he had a prostate tumor removed. Such a surgical intervention can really cause impotence, but in this case, doctors save a person's life. However, if you regularly undergo examinations by a urologist, then prostate cancer or adenoma can be detected at an early stage and its treatment can be started on time. Then such an operation, leading to the loss of sexual function, will not be needed.

Treatment

Any modern man, from young to old, is inevitably subject to stress in the cycle of life. Some have bad habits, malnourished and inactive due to the specifics of the work. All this leads to a deterioration in health, including in the sexual sphere. Modesty does not allow a man to go to the doctor and confess his impotence, but this is a false idea.

In any case, whatever the causes and manifestations of erectile dysfunction, you should immediately contact a specialist. Currently, sexologists are able to help in the fight against various cases of impotence, as they have a huge arsenal of tools for this.

Warning: self-treatment for this sexual disorder is dangerous, as erection-supporting pills and devices advertised everywhere help for a while and can even harm. Their use will lead to the loss of precious time, during which the problem will only get worse.

It should be noted that very rarely the treatment is the use of a single method that eliminates the pathology factor. As a rule, an integrated approach is much more effective, especially if the case (and this happens often) is neglected. This method of dealing with erectile dysfunction quickly restores sexual function by eliminating the factors that led to the disorder, and helps the patient cope with the uncertainty that developed when impotence occurred.

Of course, erectile dysfunction is not a deadly problem, but because of it, the quality of a man’s life decreases, his health and mood worsen, and families collapse. Therefore, getting rid of it is essential.

Impotence has long ceased to be a sentence. If a man has the first signs, symptoms, then he just needs to seek help from a urologist. Early impotence develops most often against the background of inflammatory processes, STDs - their treatment has long been quick and successful with timely access to specialists.