Most people know that even such simple things as bad habits or emotional problems can trigger erectile dysfunction. Chronic illnesses and severe depression could affect your ability to enjoy sex much more. In this article you will find the most common, although sometimes not that obvious reasons for difficulties with erection (I call them enemies of a good erection), as well as the ways to deal with them.

Causes of erectile dysfunction: Some you can avoid easily

Of course, some things are not and could not be totally under your control. For example, you cannot affect your genetics, or cannot just calm down in certain really stressful situations. Still, knowing the most common causes of erectile dysfunction helps a lot to understand what to do.

Health issues

Various diseases can affect the nerves, muscles, or blood vessels, thus causing poor sexual function in men. Particularly, such conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure, spinal cord injuries, and multiple sclerosis. Surgery on the prostate or bladder can also have a negative effect on your boners.

Medicines

Not only antidepressants, but also some other drugs often lead to problems with male potency. For example, painkillers or pressure normalizing drugs cause temporary erectile dysfunction symptoms in quite many patients.

Depression

Excitation is born in the brain, and only then moves down to your dick. But in a head clogged with thoughts of being futile, such an arousal can hardly appear. Therefore, depression weakens both desire and erection. Unfortunately, many antidepressants suppress sexual drive, so it gets even worse.

Stress

Stress, just like depression, does not contribute to the right mood, in general and in bed.

Anger

You might find it a bit strange, but it is really hard to tune on if you are full of rage. Moreover, even suppressed anger can bring discord into your intimate life.

Anxiety and low self-esteem

Worrying about one’s sexual capabilities leads to failures in bed much more often than you can imagine. Any self-doubt brings more problems with quality and duration of erection, especially if you already have some.

Alcohol

On the one hand, a couple of drinks can make most of us more self-confident and flirty. At the same time, alcohol suppresses sexual function. Most often, this problem passes as soon as you get back sober. Still, try to drink at least moderately.

Drugs

Amphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and other drugs also cause sexual problems.

Smoking

What they write on cigarette packages is true. Smoking really increases the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Overweight

Obese men have low testosterone levels. And it affects both libido and erection. In addition, obesity can cause hypertension and hardening of the arteries, due to which the blood flow to the penis decreases. Also, in many, excess weight contributes to low self-esteem.

How to deal with the enemies of a good erection

Obviously, some of the problems leading to erectile dysfunction you cannot just fix without visiting a doctor. But, fortunately, you can avoid certain mistakes, or at least minimize the consequences. Here we go:

• Knowing you have a serious disease or noticing the first symptoms, see your physician. Often, just curing or putting under control a chronic illness makes it possible to enjoy sex.
• Mind the medications you take. Consult a doctor to adjust the dose in order to fight erectile dysfunction.
• Think of physical activity, fresh air, yoga and meditation which can ease anger, anxiety, stress and even help avoid depression.
• Drink less or better no alcohol, forget about drugs, and try to quit smoking.
• Make your diet healthier. Thus, you will protect yourself from heart diseases and many other unpleasant health conditions, and additionally lose excess weight if you have such a problem. Particularly, avoid or at least limit fast food, any fried meals, and red meat. Stick to vegetables, fruits, and fish.
• Control your blood pressure and testosterone levels.
• Do not overestimate temporary difficulties with erection.