Impotence Doesn't Mean You Can't Perform

Impotence or erectile dysfunction is a common occurrence for men. Men of all ages will probably have a bout of impotence at different stages of their life from a wide range of causes. It is only when the impotence becomes a regular feature of life to the point where a man feels like he is missing more sexual enjoyment than he would like, that impotence is a true problem. Even then, problem impotence affects men of all age groups and is thought to affect as many as 1 in 12 men under 40 years old, 1 of every five men over 40 and under 65 years of age and 1 out of 2 men over the age of 65.

Psychological causes are a common reason for impotence. For example, exhaustion, depression and stress can cause impotence. In the event of a psychological cause for impotence, there is nothing wrong with the blood flow to the penis. Instead, the man has an attitude or thoughts, which are counter productive to having successful intercourse.

An example of a short term bout of impotence could happen if a man were cheating, he may not be able to perform because of associate guilt. What can exacerbate the problem is if, first, the man thinks that he cannot perform under whatever condition is bothering him. If the situation is wrong somehow to the man and then, second, the man worries about his sexual performance in that situation, it can compound the psychological reasons and set the stage for an event of impotence. A psychological reason does not have to be compounded for short term impotence to occur. Psychological reasons can contribute to short term and long term impotence.

Organic reasons for impotence involve the physical health of the reproductive organs involved with an erection. Blood flow and nerve health can be negatively affected by prescription drugs, heaving drinking, smoking, drug abuse, an unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, thyroid disease and diabetes. Sometimes, blood flow is impeded by structure of the blood vessels, which may be fixed through surgery. Some surgical procedures can affect sexual performance, too.

An organic reason can be compounded by a psychological reason. If a man worries that the organic reason will affect his performance, he may become so worried about it even if the organic reason was not affecting his performance all that much. The psychological reason added on top of the organic reason may cause more events of impotence than if the man did not worry about the impotence so much.

While it may not be easy to not not worry when impotence strikes, figure out first whether it is worth it to worry because it is the worry that just might affect your sexual performance even more. If you are a healthy guy who lives a moderate lifestyle, an occasional bout of impotence is not unusual at all. When impotence is a problem, it is necessary to seek a diagnosis from your physician to determine the cause and treatment of the impotence.