Although erectile dysfunction is hardly the most pleasant experience for a man, it is better to admit having it in order to identify the causes and start treatment.

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by many things from excessive smoking and drinking to a serious medical condition. Erection starts with arousal, then the nervous system responds and sends more blood to the penis in order to get an erection. If somewhere in this chain there is an interruption, then erectile dysfunction occurs.

The cause is often psychological. Stress, fatigue, depression, negative feelings between the partners, and fear of sexual failure are common reasons for temporary or longer erectile dysfunction.

But the most frequent cause of erectile dysfunction is physical. Furthermore, it might be one of the first signs of a serious disease.

The list of diseases that affect erections is long, and some of the medical conditions include damage to nerves, arteries and the cardio-vascular system in general, diabetes, kidney disease, alcoholism, sclerosis, neurological diseases, etc. Surgery (especially prostate and bladder surgery for cancer) can damage the nerves and arteries in the penile area. Injuries to other organs (back, prostate, bladder, etc.) can also have an effect. As a whole, it is estimated that in about 70 percent of the erectile dysfunction cases, the cause is a disease of some sort.

Lifestyle (smoking, drinking, excessive weight, lack of physical activity) and side effects of drugs for other diseases also contribute to the causes of erectile dysfunction. Hormonal disorders (lack of testosterone) are another reason for erectile dysfunction.

So if you or your partner frequently experiences erectile dysfunction, and this does not change when psychological causes are removed, it is time to see a doctor who could more precisely identify the causes and prescribe treatment.