A man experiences erectile dysfunction (ED) due to lack of blood flow to the penile region. The nervous system, the endocrine system and the circulatory system work in unison to produce firm and strong penile erection. The defect in any of these systems can lead to development of erectile dysfunction.
Physiology of erection
The PDE- 5 enzyme is present in abundance inside the penile region. This enzyme degrades the endogenous substance called as cGMP. This cGMP is a chemical substance that relaxes the smooth muscles and dilates the blood vessels inside the penile region. The dilated blood vessels improve the blood flow to the penile organ. This improved blood flow produces a firm and strong penile erection.
About High blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exercised by the circulating blood on the walls of the blood vessels. The normal resting blood pressure is 120/80mm Hg. The low blood pressure is termed as hypotension and the high blood pressure is termed as hypertension. Both conditions are dangerous and can lead to complications.
Erectile dysfunction and High blood pressure: The link
Several scientific reports available have reported high blood pressure or hypertension as the leading cause of erectile dysfunction. A study in the leading scientific journal reports that about 49% of men aged 40 to 79 with high blood pressure had erectile dysfunction. Another study reported 68% of men had mild degree of erectile dysfunction, while 45% of men had severe degree of erectile dysfunction.
High blood pressure does not allow the blood vessels to carry the amount of blood to the penile organ the way they are required to. It also makes the smooth muscles in the penile region to lose its ability to relax. This leads to erectile dysfunction as enough blood does not enter the penile region.
Men with high blood pressure may also have low testosterone levels. Testosterone is a male sexual hormone that plays a major role in sexual arousal.
Some medications used to treat blood pressure such as diuretics or beta blockers can also produce erectile dysfunction as the side effect.
Smoking can also increase the blood pressure. It may even damage the blood vessels and reduce the blood flow to all parts of the body.
So, any factor that hampers the blood flow to the penile region, can lead to erectile dysfunction.
Treatment-
Various treatment options are available for treating erectile dysfunction. Medicines are at the top of the list.
Man prefer taking medications as they are easily available, are simple to consume and produce faster results.
Sildenafil citrate, Tadalafil and Vardenafil are the medicines that are medicines that are useful for treating erectile dysfunction.
Tadalafil is the longest acting medication, which is used for treating ED. It has duration of action of 36 hours. Sildenafil citrate is the first ED medication to be approved by FDA. Vardenafil is an ED medication with a shortest reported onset of action. Its action begins as early as 10 minutes.
So, the problem of ED is highly treatable and the choice of medicine depends on the user. Consult your physician, he will prescribe you the appropriate medicine. All the medicines are easily available at the local pharmacy shops and at the online pharmacies. All are prescription drugs.