Why Does Smoking Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Nowadays, children increasingly began to be born “in vitro”. The reason for that is not only women’s health – problems with conceiving are often caused by diseases that develop in men.

One of the male infertility causes is erectile dysfunction – the inability to enjoy full sex life. It is unlikely that there is another factor that would influence man’s self-esteem as much as potency. Its violation leads to depression, neuroses, families destruction, and even suicide among men. For example, four out of five men consider impotence an extremely serious problem.

Erectile Dysfunction or Impotence?

Failures in the male sexual sphere are commonly referred to as impotence. However, this term is used by experts only in respect of those members of the stronger sex who are not able to perform sexual intercourse.

Such cases are rare but recurring problems with erection are much more common. In such cases, doctors talk about erectile dysfunction.

Disappointing Statistics

According to My Canadian Pharmacy, the decline in potency affects more than 40 percent of men older than 40 years. And two out of three men have experienced problems with erection on some level.

Experts suggest that in a few decades this disease will become pandemic. Already, impotence is observed at more than 150 million of men worldwide.

Meanwhile, almost half of respondents do not know what causes erectile dysfunction. Moreover, men do not suspect that the cause of this acute problem often becomes a lifestyle that the stronger sex got used to.

All Problems are In the Head…

In some cases, potency is weakened due to fatigue, stress, lack of sleep and chronic problems at work. This dysfunction is called psychogenic.

…and in Cigarettes

There is also the so-called organic erectile dysfunction. It arises as a consequence of timely untreated diseases and unhealthy lifestyle. Mainly smoking.

Chronic poisoning of the body with combustion products of tobacco and nicotine exposure results in decreased testosterone production, which controls ability of men to perform sexual intercourse.

In addition, almost 80 percent of cases arise as a complication of vascular diseases. Smoking causes vascular spasms, which impede blood flow to the penis and reduce erection strength. In some cases, it completely disrupts male body function.

Besides, tobacco abuse triggers atherosclerotic processes development, which hinders blood flow throughout the body.

Smoking men are three times more likely to have with problems with potency than non-smokers. And 87 percent of men with severe impotence are heavy smokers.

Other Reasons

Not less serious risk factors for erectile dysfunction include other consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle that lead to vascular problems and reduce testosterone production:

diabetes increases the risk of sexual weakness by 55 percent;
atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease – by almost 40 percent;
obesity – by 25 percent;
hypertension – by 15 – 20 percent.

What is Most Important?

Erectile dysfunction affects many men over 40. The main cause of this unpleasant disease is an unhealthy lifestyle and bad habits. Basically – smoking.