Erectile Dysfunction and Causes of Male Infertility
Firstly Erectile Dysfunction is a disease of the male organ which also called ED. Secondly, Erectile dysfunction causes impotence which leads to male infertility in absence of erectile dysfunction treatment. As a result, ED leads to sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to attain or maintain the desired erection.
In other words, impotence or ED is the inability of the penis to penetrate during sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction is a very common sexual problem in men and the most common cause of creating problems in sexual and marital relationships.
Most importantly erectile dysfunction or impotence can also lead to depression and psychological harm in both partners.
How Erection Phenomenon Happens
To initiate the erection of the penis and get it hard fully, the veins of the penis must be filled with blood which is regulated by the nervous stimulus. These stimuli become more active while imaginations of sex, during foreplay and sex.
Nervous stimulus prompts the blood vessels of the penis to engorge with the blood. Other blood vessels of the body and nearby organs constrict and blood flow increases towards the penis.
Erectile Dysfunction Causes and male infertility problems
Erectile dysfunction causes are classified into six types basis on the presentation of the disease, symptoms, and origin of the disease. These causes are called male infertility factors. In conclusion, you will come to know about what is the main cause of erectile dysfunction after reading this article.
- Physical Causes
- Drug-Induced
- Systemic Disorders or Diseases
- Psychological
- Aging and Lifestyle Habits
- Hormonal imbalance
Physical causes
- Injury to Penis – If there is any physical trauma or injury due to an accident that causes damage to the fibrous tissues or structure of the penis can lead to ED.
- Fracture of the Penis – When erected penis got injured during sexual intercourse, the fibrous covering of the penis is ruptured which is called a fractured penis. This leads to low blood flow to the veins of the penis and erectile dysfunction.
- Surgery – Radical Prostatectomy or surgical removal of the prostate gland either full or partial can cause erectile dysfunction.
- Spinal cord injury – Spinal cord injuries can cause a serious negative impact and as a result, the muscles strength of the pelvis weaken or is paralyzed which causes erectile dysfunction.
Drug-Induced
Few prescription drugs cause erectile dysfunction especially with long term medication like:
- Antidepressant drugs – Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
- Antihypertensive Drugs – Beta Blockers, alpha 2 adrenergic receptors
- Diuretics – Thiazides
- Enlarged Prostate Treatment Drugs – 5alpha reductase inhibitors
Systemic Disorders or Diseases
There are many chronic diseases and systemic ailments that cause erectile dysfunction and male infertility
- Neurological Disorders
- Diabetes Mellitus and diabetic neuropathy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Temporal Lobe epilepsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peyronie’s Disease – Abnormal curvature of Penis
- Hyperprolactinemia – High prolactin levels in the blood because of benign tumor of the pituitary gland which is called adenoma.
- Kidney failure
Psychological
The psychological mind frame is the most common cause of erectile dysfunction in young adults, newly married couples, and people having their first experience of sex. This kind of erectile dysfunction factor accounts for ~15% of total ED cases. However, such kind of patient can be treated easily with a placebo and psychological counseling. Following are the key reasons for psychological erectile dysfunction:
- Stress
- Premature ejaculation
- Performance anxiety
- mental disorders
Aging and Lifestyle Habits
- Aging – Erectile dysfunction increases with the growing age, especially above 60 years. After that, 5% of patients in their forties start experiencing ED which increases to 15-25% at age of 60 and above. Many systemic diseases and chronic ailments like Diabetes mellitus are responsible for erectile dysfunction in this age group.
- Smoking – Likewise, smoking can lead to narrowing of the arteries which leads to vascular disorders and can cause ED.
- Dietary Habits – On the other hand, a High carbohydrate and high-fat diet especially junk foods leads to high blood sugar and can cause erectile dysfunctions.
Hormonal Imbalances
- Low Testosterone Levels – If you ask a question what is the main cause of erectile dysfunction? Then the answer is low testosterone level in your body. The most common cause of Erectile dysfunction in young male adults is a low level of testosterone.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone
It does not only cause erectile dysfunction and impotence but also causes other erectile dysfunction symptoms as listed below and effects badly on your body systems.
- Low sex desire
- Low energy
- Inability to build muscle mass
- Low semen volume
- Mood changes
- Increase Body Fat
- Affected memory
- Decreased bone mass
- Osteoporosis
- Heart Diseases
Male infertility types and Male infertility factors
Male infertility types can be defined according to the male infertility factors. We can categorize male infertility types as listed below.
- Premature ejaculation
- Azoospermia (No sperm in semen)
- Oligospermia (Low sperm count)
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) or Impotence
Erectile Dysfunction Symptoms
The patient may have the following signs and erectile dysfunction symptoms which may be suggestive of psychological problems associated with diabetes mellitus and other neurological disorders.
- Less firm penis
- Inability to maintain erection and sufficient rigidity
- inability to accomplish sexual activity
- Low sexual desire and lack of Libido
- Fewer Erections than normal
- Spontaneous fewer nighttime erections
- Psychological impact on personality and behavior
- Impact on the emotional well-being of both the partners
- Infertility
How to Diagnose Erectile Dysfunction
The complete history of the patient plays an important role in the diagnosis of the disease of erectile dysfunction and its causes. The identification of Physiological and psychological causes can be distinguished with history and other investigations including erectile dysfunction in diabetes.
That is to say, the following diagnostic techniques help in further diagnosis of the disease.
- Blood sugar and HBA1C – Erectile dysfunction in diabetes is a very common symptom and can be determined with a few laboratory tests like blood sugar levels and HBA1C.
- Ultrasonography
- Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
- Penile Nervous Function
- Nocturnal Penile Tumescence
- Corpus Cavernosometry
Male Infertility and Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
We can treat Male infertility with the correction of erectile dysfunction however erectile dysfunction is one of the causes of male infertility. Various treatment options are available to treat erectile dysfunction and male infertility.
Medical Management
Many drugs and medications are available to treat erectile dysfunction like Sildenafil, Tadalafil, and many others. But all these medications are strictly prohibited taking without a valid medical prescription and doctor’s advice.
Warning: Do not take such medications without Doctor’s prescription. These can cause very serious side effects if taken without a doctor’s advice.
Testosterone helps in the treatment of male infertility problems
Testosterone is a hormone produced by testicles and can be taken as a supplement if the patient is diagnosed with low testosterone levels. It should be taken under the doctor’s supervision.
Increase Testosterone Naturally
The level of testosterone can be boost naturally with a few lifestyle & dietary habit changes and with the help of testosterone booster supplements.
Following are the techniques, Erectile Dysfunction Foods to Boost Testosterone
- Weight Loss – High fat leads to low testosterone levels hence weight loss is the best tool to increase testosterone levels.
- Increase Physical Exercises – Daily 45-60 minutes regular high power exercises and physical activities help in reducing fat and increasing testosterone levels.
- Erectile Dysfunction Foods – Avoid processed foods and refined sugar. Eat a proper diet including natural foods, green leafy vegetables, pulses, and high proteins diet. You can use a keto diet (High proteins, no carbohydrates, and a high-fat diet)
- Exposure to Direct sunlight – Vitamin D3 plays a very important role in increasing testosterone naturally. When you expose your skin to direct sunlight helps in Vitamin D3 production.
- Good Sleep – A good sleep always help in producing testosterone naturally. Minimum 7-8 hours of sound sleep is considered good sleep.
- Laughter, success, and happiness boost testosterone naturally
Testosterone Booster Supplements
Listed below are the testosterone booster supplements and herbal medicine for erectile dysfunction, that help and benefit sperm quality and production.
- Foods that contain D-Aspartic acid help in boosting testosterone naturally like Legumes & Beans, Egg, Fish, Mushrooms and cottage cheese, etc.
- Vitamin D3
- Tribulus Terrestris (Gokhru)
- Fenugreek (Hing)
- Ginger
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera
- Zinc supplements
All bove foods are testosterone booster supplements and fall under male infertility foods that are very helpful in improving testosterone levels.
Surgery and Prosthetics
Penile implants are very useful to treat erectile dysfunction and helps in improving the firmness of the penis and erection during the time.
Alternative, Unani and Ayurveda Medicines
Erectile Dysfunction Remedies
Natural herbal medicine has shown very effective results in erectile dysfunction treatment. Alternative medicines are the best erectile dysfunction remedies. In conclusion, Alternative drugs promote testosterone production and improve premature ejaculation too. Such medicines for erectile dysfunction are very helpful in the treatment of male infertility problems.
Below are the medicines for erectile dysfunction:
- Tribulus Terrestris (Gokhru)
- Fenugreek (Methi)
- Ginger
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera
- Male Goat testicles
- Few preparations for Local applications
- Dry Dates
Above all, herbal medicines for erectile dysfunction increase blood flow towards the veins of the penis. Subsequently, help in a prolonged erection and firmness of the penis.
Erectile Dysfunction Exercise
Exercise strengthens the muscle and improves blood circulation. Similarly, erectile dysfunction exercise is called Kegel exercises or pelvic floor exercises. Most importantly, Kegel exercise is very effective in the treatment of erectile dysfunction disease and male infertility. However, Kegel exercise shows results in 4-6 weeks if done regularly with other alternative treatment options.
Pelvic floor exercises or Kegel Exercises strengthen the pelvic muscles and increases blood circulation and improve the penile erection.
Kegel Exercise
Kegel exercise is defined as when the patient squeezes pelvic muscles (Tighten the muscles of your anus) in different body postures. These exercises are instructed to do in three different postures:
- Activating (Lying position)
- Sitting Position
- Standing position
In each posture, a patient needs to exhale first and squeeze the pelvic muscle for a count of three. Then inhale and release the muscles for a count of three.
Stop Urinating Mid Flow
Tighten the muscles of your anus as you are trying to stop passing air from the anus. In addition, Clench the pelvic and your anus muscles to stop urinating mid-flow and then unclench them and allow urination. After that, Count for five when you are clenching then relax and can repeat the same.
These simple steps need to be repeated and should be done a minimum of three times a day regularly to see better results.
Similarly, other aerobic exercises like cycling, swimming, running, boxing is also helpful to improve the ED. these were few erectile dysfunction remedies playing a good result for the treatment of male infertility and impotence.
