Impotence in men: causes and treatment
Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is not uncommon. Nevertheless, it is considered a taboo subject that hardly anyone speaks about in public. After all, many men perceive them as a weakness. Impotence can have various causes and is treatable. Here we explain how it can be caused and what you can do about impotence.
What is impotence?
One speaks of impotence or erectile dysfunction when a man in most cases does not get a limb stiffening sufficient for sexual intercourse for six months. Either the penis doesn’t get hard enough or it relaxes too quickly. Impotence is an “erectile dysfunction” and is not directly related to male infertility . A doctor can determine whether there is impotence or even infertility. The article “ Finding the right doctor if you want to have children ” deals with which doctor is best to turn to .
incidence of impotence
Impotence is not uncommon. Studies have shown that about a fifth of German men aged 30 to 80 suffer from it. The likelihood increases with age. While about two to three percent of thirty to forty year old men suffer from an erectile dysfunction, more than half of the over forty year olds do.
Physical causes of impotence
In the past, stress and psychological problems were usually blamed for impotence, but it has now been found that physical conditions are also responsible for the disorder in most cases. Physical causes include:
- Circulatory disorders
- nerve diseases
- hormonal imbalances
- Damage to the erectile tissue
However, there are also certain risk factors that can promote impotence. These include diseases of the blood vessels and the central nervous system, diabetes, pelvic surgery and excessive consumption of nicotine, alcohol and other drugs.
Psychological causes of impotence
In society, unrealistic expectations are built up, for example through sex depictions in porn films, which makes men feel pressured. In general, strong shocks in life, such as the fear of losing your job or relationship problems, can also be the reason for impotence. Psychological causes could be:
- problems in the partnership
- stress, anxiety, depression
- Fear to fail; too high expectations
- Traumatic sexual experiences
- Unexplained sexual orientation
In any case, impotence should be taken seriously for health reasons as a kind of early warning system, because it is often the harbinger of a heart attack or a stroke.
vicious circle of impotence
It is often not clear whether impotence has psychological or physical causes. There are often combined causes: A physical disorder triggers potency problems. These in turn cause shame and fear, which intensifies the erectile dysfunction. A vicious circle that can only be broken through a combined psychological and physical therapy.
What to do about impotence?
If the doctor diagnoses impotence, there are various ways to treat it. If it was caused by a testosterone deficiency, hormone therapy can help. Sometimes the erectile dysfunction is also caused by a side effect of the medication, in which case the doctor will prescribe an alternative drug without these side effects. However, the drug should not be discontinued on one’s own initiative. In addition, three medications are approved in Germany for the treatment of impotence, so-called phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. These increase the blood flow in the penis during sexual arousal, so that an erection occurs and can be kept longer.
Anyone who cannot or does not want to take these medications has the option of treating the erectile dysfunction with vacuum therapy. Here, a plastic cylinder with a suction pump is placed on the penis and a vacuum is created. This stimulates the blood flow in the penis and causes an erection. Vacuum therapy is even covered by health insurance if the doctor prescribes it. Since impotence often has psychological causes as well, sex therapy, preferably together with a partner, is recommended.