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Which are the main causes of erectile dysfunction?

In general erectile dysfunction causes can be classified into 5 main categories:

Psychological disorders:

• Depression
• Narcomania
• Alcoholism
• Specific psychopathological disorders: fear of sexual frustration

Endocrine disorders:

• Hypogonadism
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Prolactinoma
• Sarcoidosis that affects hypothalamic area

Disorders of vascular system:

• Atherosclerotic damage of the blood vessels associated with diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol blood levels, hypertension
• Occlusion of the small pelvic arteries
• Disorders of the venous system - increased blood outflow from the penis

Organic changes of the penis:

• Peyronie's disease (anatomical deformation of the penis)
• Traumas, wounds, inflammation

Neurological disorders:

• Disorders of blood circulation
• Diseases of the spinal cord
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease

Diabetes, hypertension, smoking and vascular diseases occupy 80% of all cases of erectile dysfunction. Diabetes affects penis nerves, making them less sensitive and damages smooth muscle of the cavernous body.

Hypertension disturbs blood circulation in the male genitals.

Smoking is one of the main cause of penile angiospasm characterized by disruption of capillary circulation.

Penile angiospasms is also closely connected with diabetes complications.

Sixty percentage of erectile dysfunction causes are associated with insufficient inflow of blood to the penis and increased blood outflow. In 15% cases the cause is in central nervous disorders on the background of endocrine diseases and only 20% are caused by psychological problems.