Erectile dysfunction (also known as ED) is a common condition that affects many men around the world, regardless of their age and demographics. The condition involves an inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection long enough to have sex.
The condition could occur due to many various reasons, both physical and psychological. In terms of psychological reasons, conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and relationship issues could contribute to an increased risk of ED. However, when it comes to physiological reasons of ED, those can be either caused by heart health issues (as well as blood flow-related concerns caused by conditions such as obesity or diabetes or high levels of cholesterol) or a premature release of PDE-5 enzymes that causes the erection to subside.
One of the most common beliefs is the fact that ED is mostly caused by low testosterone levels – one of men’s primary sexual hormones. However, in reality, ED could be caused by a range of various reasons in addition to low testosterone levels. Therefore, it is important to know the difference between the underlying causes as well as the impact of testosterone on men’s sexual health. Therefore, to find out more about the connection and avoid any potential misconceptions, read the following Pharmica article.
Causes and Symptoms of Low Testosterone:
One of the primary reasons why the levels of testosterone could be low is age – as our bodies age, our body functions and hormone development starts to deteriorate. Specifically, with age, our pituitary glands send fewer signals to the testes that are responsible for the production of testosterone. This, in addition to the reduced production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) protein, affects the levels of testosterone in our bodies.
The production of testosterone can also be deteriorated by additional factors like being obese/overweight, being diagnosed with diabetes, HIV or AIDS as well as alcohol and tobacco overconsumption.
As a result, some men might experience any of the following symptoms that could indicate low testosterone levels:
- Experiencing rapid changes in mood
- Producing less body and facial hair
- Changes to fertility and libido levels
- Lower muscle mass and bone density
The Link between ED and Low Testosterone:
In conclusion, it should be noted that low levels of testosterone can indeed cause ED. However, this cause contributes to the risk of ED rather than directly causing it. The key reasons behind ED are mostly related to either psychological reasons (10% of the cases) or physiological reasons (80% of the cases) where the blood flow is deteriorated and does not allow blood to reach the intended destination. Taking clinically proven, effective and safe erectile dysfunction treatments can assist with tackling these issues on-demand.
In terms of the proportion of the cases, hormone-related disorders account for the rarest of the major causes of ED and are usually more of a contributing factor rather than a direct cause. Taking treatments with Viagra could assist with tackling the ED while the actual cause of ED is being identified and treated.
