Impotence

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Defining impotence

Impotence is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection to complete satisfactory sexual intercourse. This could mean that you are unable to get an erection when aroused, or it could mean that you lose your erection before or after penetration. If you experience this problem several times in a short period of time, then you should speak to a doctor or take an online consultation to discover the nature of your problem and to find an appropriate treatment.

What's going wrong?

Getting an erection is a complicated process. When you're aroused, more blood flows towards twin chambers in your penis known as the corpus cavernosa. A molecule in your penis called cGMP is released which instructs the walls of the corpus cavernosa to relax. This allows the increased blood flow to enter, engorging the penis to create an erection. While this is happening, an enzyme called PDE-5 naturally breaks down the cGMP.

Impotence occurs when any part of this process is disrupted. This is either caused by a low production of the molecule cGMP, or because too much PDE-5 is preventing it from working. The narrowing of blood vessels, caused by smoking, is another common cause.

What causes impotence?

The first step to finding treatment is to determine the causes of your condition. Impotence can be caused by both psychological and physical reasons. Short term causes tend be psychological, such as depression, stress or anxiety. Those experiencing recurrent problems are more likely to have a physical problem, which could be a medical condition, or the result of an unhealthy lifestyle.

The best way to discover if you have a long term impotence problem is to see whether you have an erection when you awake in the morning. If you are erect, your problem is not physical. Similarly, if you achieve an erection when masturbating, your symptoms are psychological.