Impotence
Published by
BUPA's health
information team,
June 2007.
This factsheet is
for men with
impotence, or people
who would like
information about
it.
Impotence is also
known as erectile
dysfunction and is
the inability to
achieve or sustain
an erection for
sexual activity to
take place. It
affects around one
in 10 men and has a
number of causes,
both physical and
psychological. There
are a variety of
treatment options
available and for the majority of men
these are
successful.
What is
impotence?
Impotence occurs
when a man has
difficulty with
either getting an
erection or keeping
one for long enough
to allow
satisfactory sexual
activity.
It's one of the
most common sexual
problems and affects
around 2.3 million
men in the UK. Half
of all men over the
age of 40 will
experience it at
some point in their
lives. It becomes
more common and
severe as men get
older. However, only
about 10 percent of
affected men seek
help.
Causes
There are a
number of reasons
why you may have
impotence. In around
three-quarters of
cases there are
physical problems
affecting the blood
supply. However,
there is a complex
relationship between
the physical and
psychological
aspects of sexual
function. For
instance, you may
have physical health
problems that cause
psychological
distress and this
may have an
additional effect on
erection problems.
Physical health
A number of
different conditions
may cause impotence,
including:
- diabetes
- multiple
sclerosis
- Parkinson's
disease
- if you have
had surgery in
your pelvic area
- hormone
imbalances
-
Hypothroidism
-
Hypo-testosterone
Psychological
Psychological
problems can
influence your
ability to get and
keep erections.
These include:
- feeling
anxious, guilty
or depressed
- stress at
work
- conflicts
with your
partner
- unresolved
issues about
your sexual
orientation
Lifestyle
If you drink too
much alcohol, this
can affect your
ability to get and
keep an erection
(often called
brewer's droop). In
the longer term, it interferes
with the
production of the
male hormone
testosterone, which
can reduce your
sexual drive and
desire (libido).
Smoking damages
your blood vessels
and so increases
your risk of
erection problems. Similarly, being
physically inactive,
which contributes to
poor cardiovascular
fitness, may raise
the chances of you
having impotence.
Impotence may be an
early warning sign
that you are at risk
of coronary heart
disease (the
arteries that go to
your heart are
narrowed).
Many men need
greater tactile
stimulation as they
get older. You may
want to consider a change in sexual
foreplay and
technique to ensure
a sustained
erection.
Medicines
The side-effects
of some medicines
such as those for
high blood pressure
and certain
antidepressants can
lead to impotence.
Medicines can also
affect
your
libido, or cause
problems with
ejaculation and
orgasm. These can
also have an effect
on erections.
Diagnosis
You may decide to
see your doctor if
you are anxious
about how reliably
you can have an
erection. This is
often the initial
problem in younger men.
However, occasional
episodes of
impotence are common
and don't mean that
you will have
persistent problems
in the future.
You may feel
embarrassed when you
first go to discuss
the issue with your
doctor or practice
nurse. However,
talking about
impotence is routine
for doctors and nurses.
Your doctor will ask
about your general
health and your
erections. This will
include whether or
not you wake with
an erection in the
morning and the strength
of erections
compared with
those in the past.
Your doctor will ask
you if you are
taking any
medication, and whether there have been any changes in
your life recently
that might have
influenced your
sexual health.
Your Doctor will take
your blood pressure
and check the pulses
in your legs. This
helps to indicate
how healthy your
circulation is. He
or she will examine
your penis and
scrotum. Your
doctor may
request blood tests
for conditions such
as anaemia,
diabetes, high cholesterol or
hormone imbalances.
He or she may also
examine your
prostate gland.
Your doctor may talk
with you and your
partner together
about any physical
or psychological factors that could
be contributing to
the problem.
For
example, around the
menopause, women may
experience pain or
discomfort during
intercourse - if the
man has a faltering
erection, this may
lead to further distress for you
both.
More specialized
tests to assess
blood flow and the
way your nerves are
working can be done
in specialist
hospital clinics.
Your doctor will refer
you if this is
necessary.
Please continue to next
page of impotence treatment