Blood Pressure Leading Men to Erection Problem
To better understand how high blood pressure can lead to sexual dysfunction, we first need to have understanding of how erection works. Getting an erection might seem like an easy thing but is actually a complicated process.
Anatomy of an Erection
In the muscle of the penis there are two side-by-side compartments of spongy tissue called the corpora cavernosa. They’re the ones mainly responsible for erections. Just below those chambers is another chamber called the corpus spongiosum. The urethra, which carries semen and urine, runs through the center of it.
When men get an erection, nerve signals from your brain or from the nerve endings in your penis cause the smooth muscle of the chambers to relax and arteries to dilate, or open wider. This allows a rush of blood to fill the empty spaces. The pressure of blood flow is what causes one to get an erection.
Factors Responsible for erectile dysfunction
High blood pressure is a major cause of erectile dysfunction. Study found that about 49% of men ages 40-79 with high blood pressure had of erectile dysfunction.
High blood pressure keeps the arteries that carry blood into the penis from dilating the way they’re supposed to. It also makes the smooth muscle in the penis lose its ability to relax. As a result, not enough blood flows into the penis to make it erect.
Men with high blood pressure may also have a low testosterone level. Testosterone is the male hormone that plays a big role in sexual arousal.
High blood pressure by itself can lead to erectile dysfunction. But some drugs for treating high blood pressure can actually be the cause as well.
Diuretics (or water pills) and beta-blockers are the blood pressure pills most commonly linked to erection problems.
Diuretics may cause erection problems by decreasing the force of blood flow into the penis. They may also reduce the level of zinc in the body. Your body needs zinc to make testosterone.
Beta-blockers dampen the response to nerve cells that lead to a hardness. They also make it more difficult for the arteries in the penis to widen and allow the blood to enter. What’s more, they can make us feel quite and gloomy - and the mind always plays some role in sexual arousal.
Sometimes, some choices men with high blood pressure make can add to the issue. Smoking, usually, is one of those. Smoking increases blood pressure, and damages blood vessels and reduces blood circulation all around the body.
The power to take control of your blood pressure and your sexual health is in your hands. By living a healthy lifestyle and working with your family physician, there’s a very good chance you’ll once again be able to have normal sexual function.
At the end, if you happen to have erectile dysfunction, then talk to your family physician regarding generic Cialis (cialis tadalafil) to see which is the right treatment for you.
