When it comes to quality of life challenges, erectile dysfunction (ED), which affects between 30 and 50 million men in the United States, ranks fairly high. The effect that ED can have on your sex life is apparent, but did you also know that many cases of ED are fueled by issues in your cardiovascular system?
In fact, a majority of ED is what we call vasculogenic, and studies show that this form of ED often precedes a meaningful cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack, by 3 to 5 years.
Despite this ominous fact, the experienced team of men’s health specialists at Arizona Urology urges you to look at vasculogenic ED from a more productive angle — it’s providing a wake-up call to change the course of your heart health for the better.
To better understand the role that your cardiovascular system plays in an erection, let’s look at the anatomy of one from start to finish.
Most erections start with arousal, which is registered in your brain. Your brain, in turn, sends signals to your penis that relax the muscles that control your corpora cavernosa, which are chambers in your penis that are sort of like sponges.
Once these muscles relax, blood can flow in and fill the blood vessels in these spaces, creating an erection.
This blood is trapped inside your penis by pressure and valves until muscles in your penis tighten, which stops the flow of blood and releases the pressure inside your penis, allowing it to go flaccid again.
So, as you can see, blood flow is a critical component when it comes to the ability to achieve and maintain an erection.
While there are many potential culprits behind ED, poor circulation to the penis is the most common and is what leads to vasculogenic ED. This occurs when plaques build up inside your main arteries, effectively narrowing the vessels and limiting the amount of blood that can flow to your penis.
Called atherosclerosis, this condition is one of the main precipitators of more serious heart disease, including coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
If we find that your ED stems from blood flow issues, you can view this as an opportunity to take key steps to improve your heart health, as well as your sex life.
While you can’t completely reverse plaque buildup in your arteries, you can prevent more from forming, and you can stabilize existing plaques. Doing this often comes down to:
Taking these steps can go a long way toward improving your blood flow, setting the stage for better sexual function.
The first step is to see us for an ED evaluation so we can identify the cause. From there, we can take steps to improve your health on every level.
To get that ball rolling, please contact us at one of our offices in Phoenix, Goodyear, Gilbert, and Glendale, Arizona, today to schedule an appointment.
