Are Erection Problems All In Your Head?

The big myth pedaled for years about erectile dysfunction, or ‘ED’ for short, was that it was all down to something not quite right in a man’s mindset. It was said all these men needed to do was “harden up”, (no pun intended). Fortunately, we’ve come a long way since then. We now know ED isn’t the result of some kind of personality disorder but more likely a physical condition such as high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes. That’s not to say ED can’t result from psychological issues because it can, but the difference is that it has little to do with not being ‘man enough’.

Stress and anxiety.

Hectic career? Hefty mortgage? Relationship on the rocks? When you’re stressed out the body releases cortisol, a stress hormone which regulates blood flow in the body¹. Long term this can affect cardiovascular health and blood pressure² and you can imagine what that can do in the ED department. Obviously there’s no easy fix for stress and anxiety but if you think it’s causing your ED it’s really important you learn to manage stressful situations better or else remove them completely.

Bad habits.

Too much drinking, smoking or taking drugs (recreational) can easily cause ED as can a lack of exercise or living a more sedentary life. These things might seem more physical in nature i.e. it’s well established that drinking and smoking has detrimental effects on the body, but if we look at why we indulge in things that aren’t exactly healthy including going without exercise, you could argue their root cause is more behavioural in nature. No one’s making you get another pint at the bar. No one’s telling you to not go for a run. Only you can make yourself do things that either contribute or combat ED. Less of the bad stuff and more of the good is your best bet because establishing healthier habits early will set you up later in life and hopefully reduce the impact of ED now.

Where Viagra® can help.

If you have ED, whatever the reason, get it checked out by your doctor or pharmacist. They’ll have a better idea what’s causing the problem and advise on treatment options including Viagra® if it’s right for you. Viagra® has been around now for over 20 years. If you’re keen to give Viagra® a go just remember to ask your doctor or pharmacist for it by name. That way you’ll get the one and only Viagra®.

To find out if you should see your GP or pharmacist first, click here.

1 Stacey Wojcik and Steven Yang. Stress Can Increase Your Risk for Heart Disease. University of Rochester Medical Center. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2171. Accessed 27 July 2021. 2 Bo Chen Yao et al. Chronic stress: a critical risk factor for atherosclerosis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6460614/. Accessed 26 July 2021.