What causes a decrease in potency in men

15 August 2022

Another well-known psychotherapist, Sigmund Freud, called potency disorders the most common failure in any man's life. And what is surprising is that many, many years have passed since then, and that statement still remains relevant.

Modern medicine has learned to solve problems with potency, there are many diagnostic and treatment technologies. But even today, for a man, any difficulty in the intimate sphere has a strong blow to pride and self-confidence.

Causes of a decrease in potency in men

To dispel a number of myths related to this problem, let's first talk a little about statistics.

You know that:

20% of men suffer from erectile dysfunction;
10% of men go to a specialist with sexual problems;
80% of men notice a decrease in potency associated with physiological disorders of the body;
In 90% of cases, erectile dysfunction is completely treatable.
I agree, on the one hand - not everything is as scary as it seemed, on the other - the presence of physiological causes of erectile dysfunction is a good reason to suspect any disease.
Thus, the organic causes of impotence can be as follows.
Vascular. Damage to the vascular walls leads to the interruption of blood supply to the penis and, consequently, to a decrease in potency. Diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular and other diseases lead to vascular problems.
hormonalA lack of testosterone (hypogonadism) is often seen in middle-aged and elderly men. Testosterone production can also be impaired by the excess of its antagonist, prolactin.
Iatrogenic. Slow potency develops against the background of a man taking prescription drugs, for example, for peptic ulcers, cardiovascular disease, and gout. Canceling drugs or replacing them with analogues will help to solve the problem.
Neurogenic. Erectile dysfunction occurs as a result of previous illnesses, strokes, injuries to the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. In ¾ of the cases, the reasons for the decrease in potency are spinal cord injuries, ¼ - intervertebral hernia, neoplasms, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. The erection weakens due to the difficult passage to the corpora cavernosa or the complete absence of nerve impulses.

Lifestyle and potency disorders

Men often forget that sexual strength is largely influenced by how a person takes care of themselves and their overall health.

It's no secret that smoking and regular alcohol consumption are one of the main causes of sexual failure. In addition, men's health is affected by the presence of stress, frequent visits to the bath, inadequate diet. Eating an excessive amount of fatty foods (and even in conjunction with drinking alcohol), a man causes an increase in body weight and an increase in the production of female sex hormones. As a result, this lifestyle can lead not only to erectile dysfunction but also to infertility.

Psychological causes of weak potency

This type of primary source of problems with erectile function is worth considering separately. Young people are more likely to suffer from such disorders in most cases - those who are just starting to lead a sex life.

The reasons for the low power in this case may be:

in the presence of psychological trauma in childhood or adolescence, when the parents inspired the child that sex is something shameful, unworthy;
in the experiences for lack of own experience and, therefore, for the fear of being ridiculed;
afraid of contracting sexually transmitted diseases;
in fears associated with an unwanted pregnancy from a partner, etc.

According to experts, an adult man who has enough sexual experience is able to solve the psychological problems of erectile dysfunction. But young people often cannot do without professional help.

Notably, relationships with a partner can become both a cause of trouble (if they're not close enough) and a means of getting rid of helplessness (if they're warm, sincere).

Another important fact. If psychological factors can be the cause of weak potency alone, then organic erectile dysfunction is always accompanied by a psychogenic component. As a result, after eliminating the root cause of problems, psychological difficulties surface and interfere with a man's normal sex life.

How to identify the cause of erectile dysfunction

Urogenital diseases are diagnosed by an andrologist or urologist. You will need to take a blood test, sperm and biological swabs and undergo an ultrasound.
Hormonal disorders will be detected by an endocrinologist. The doctor will recommend doing an ultrasound and CT scan of the endocrine glands, donating blood for hormones.
Vascular disorders will be determined by a vascular surgeon. Studies are performed using Doppler ultrasound and functional tests that show the level of blood supply to the penis.
Diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nervous system will help to identify a neurologist. You will be assigned electroencephalography, brain and spinal cord tomography, rheoencephalography, electromyography.
The psychological causes of sexual disorders can only be found by a psychotherapist, psychiatrist or sexologist. Diagnostic methods in this case are psychological tests, conversations with the patient.

Hormonal Imbalance, or Where Do Men Get Female Hormones From?

What are we talking about?Decreased levels of male hormones and/or increased levels of female hormones.

Who is to blame?Normally, a man's body produces a lot of male hormones and a small amount of female hormones. Alcohol, smoking, malnutrition, irregular sex life, beriberi, liver disease - all this (and not only! ) sooner or later leads to:

the production of male sex hormones is reduced,
and women's production, on the contrary, may increase.

Of course, this is not good.

What to do?

Pass special tests. Find out exactly which hormones are missing and which are "going crazy".
Establish the scope of the problem.
Replenish your body with missing hormones.
Suppress the production of excessive amounts of female hormones.
Restore the body's ability to produce hormones in the right amount (no more, no less).

What kind of tests should be done?Donating biomaterials for everything is an unpleasant and expensive occupation. Ask a urologist. He will take an exam, review your complaints and tell you which tests to pass.

Then he will select the preparations containing hormones that suit you. Or he will prescribe a treatment so that the body "remembers" how many hormones need to be produced.

What is the prognosis?With a properly selected course of treatment and the implementation of the doctor's recommendations, the prognosis is positive - potency, as a rule, is restored. Any age.

Infections of various origins

What are we talking about?Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or infections that are in the body "in a sleeping state", waking up under certain conditions.

Who is to blame?Infections and harmful bacteria can appear mainly for two reasons:

dubious "contacts" without means of protection.
The reproduction of microorganisms that constantly live inside any person in small amounts. Normally, these microorganisms awaken in diseases of Organs internal organs, when the immune system is weakened.

What to do?Both need to be identified and destroyed. The sooner the better.

What tests to do?There are many types of infectious diseases. Testing for all types is a waste of time and money. Visit a urologist, list all your symptoms for him, tell him in detail about your feelings when urinating, during or after intercourse, get an exam and ultrasound.

An experienced urologist will collect all this information and make a list of necessary laboratory tests. Then, based on your results, he will establish a diagnosis and prescribe medications and procedures.

What is the prognosis?Today, the vast majority of infectious lesions are perfectly treatable.

Inflammation: From Pain to Impotence - 1 Step!

What are we talking about?Prostatitis, epididymitis, urethritis, vesiculitis, cystitis and others - all, as you've noticed, with the suffix "-IT". Conditions that bring men pain, cramping, burning, high fever, and other unpleasant sensations.

These sensations can occur during or after urination, during intercourse or in the process of ejaculation, when walking, lifting weights, and even at rest.

Who is to blame?Often the man himself is to blame. Hypothermia and, conversely, overheating, ignoring the first symptoms of diseases (not just urological, the cause of inflammation can even be untreated tooth decay), unhealthy habits, casual relationships, infections, attempts at self-medication, uncontrolled intake of antibiotics and others drugs.

All this builds up gradually - until a focus of inflammation is formed in one of the organs.

What to do?Diagnose and treat. The sooner, the less damage will be done to the body. Inflammation causes problems not only with potency - it can lead to infertility. The ideal option is to have time to recover in the acute phase. But this is not always the case - people often go to the doctor with a chronic form.

What is the prognosis?Acute inflammation can heal quickly. And if you take care of yourself and don't neglect the doctor's recommendations, relapses (repeated exacerbations) may not occur.

Chronic inflammation is also treatable. But the treatment takes a little longer. And there is a high probability of repeated exacerbations as a result of colds or stress.

Vascular Problems: No Blood - No Erection!

problems with potency due to blood vessels

What are we talking about?Partial or complete blockage of penile vessels due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

What's happening?A normal erection requires rapid blood flow to the penis. If there are atherosclerotic plaques or blood clots in the blood vessels, blood movement slows down and potency worsens. Complete blockage of blood vessels leads to absolute impotence.

Who is to blame?Inadequate diet, sedentary lifestyle, bad habits, very frequent, or vice versa, very rare sexual contacts, diseases of the cardiovascular system, pressure spikes, etc.

What to do?Look for the reason. Along with the urologist. Usually special hardware studies are carried out for this:

vessel Dopplerography
erectile function test
biothesiometry

What is the prognosis?Depending on the condition of your vessels, they must be free of atherosclerotic plaques or new vessels must be cultured. Which method is most suitable for you, the doctor will determine.

Comprehensive treatment with appliances is required - vacuum LOD therapy, shock wave therapy, magneto-laser therapy. A good effect is achieved when these techniques are combined with PRP therapy and intravenous injections.

The first positive results appear almost immediately. It is important not to stop at this stage, otherwise everything will return to normal very quickly. Do not be lazy, follow the course of treatment completely to consolidate the effect for a long time.

Lumbosacral spine diseases

What are we talking about?Spinal disorders in the lumbar and/or sacral regions directly affect the health of Organs pelvic organs in men.

What's happening?Due to osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, displacement of vertebrae, blood circulation is disturbed, nerve endings can be violated. This causes pain and numbness. And as a result - potency violations.

What to do?Take a course of treatment together with a urologist and a neurologist - here you need medication, massage, acupuncture and specially designed exercises and physiotherapy (magnet, UVT, laser). This therapy quickly relieves pain, helps restore normal urination, improves blood circulation, and restores lost sensitivity.

What is the prognosis?If you haven't gotten to the point where you need spinal surgery, the prognosis is very reassuring. With simultaneous treatment by a neurologist and a urologist, a very rapid recovery and restoration of potency is possible.

If you have spinal surgery, the recovery will be much longer and quite complicated. Do not bring to the operation - consult a doctor in time!

Examination by a urologist for potency problems

Primary consultation with a urologist-andrologist

Inspection
prostate ultrasound
bladder ultrasound
Doppler study of blood vessels - for potency problems
Erectile function test - for potency problems
Biothesiometry - for potency problems and premature ejaculation
Medical consultation, evaluation of test results

Erectile dysfunction: types, causes and treatment methods

Men of any nationality, no matter where they live and no matter how old they are, are worried about problems with their penis. They are especially frightened when the erect penis is not hard enough, it is not "workable" and it is impossible to have sex. This disorder is called erectile dysfunction or impotence.

It should be noted that almost all representatives of the strong half of humanity from the age of 20 face low-quality erections. But it is possible to assume the presence of this disorder of sexual function only if 25% of cases of intimate communication are defective (every fourth sexual intercourse occurs with a "misfire").

Erectile dysfunction becomes a real tragedy for a man, he suffers physically and psychologically, so it must be treated immediately.

Features and symptoms of impotence

There are such signs of erectile dysfunction:

lack of sexual desire. The lack of desire for intimacy, that is, a violation of libido, occurs with a decrease in the production of testosterone (male hormone), depression due to stress, frequent fatigue, poor state after a fight with a sexual partner;
slow erection, as a consequence of vascular disease, etc. ;
lack of ejaculation due to psychological factors;
anorgasmia - the absence of orgasm, as a rule, is also associated with psychology.

The types of disorder are determined by their causes:

organic - autoimmune diseases, hypertension, diabetes and various other serious diseases;
psychogenic - problems with a partner, overload, stress;
mixed.

According to statistics, almost 80% of erectile dysfunction cases are associated with organic problems.

Each of the above types has its own characteristics. Psychological impotence appears suddenly, immediately, but the erection in the morning remains at the proper level and the arousal of the penis persists throughout intercourse.

Organic erectile dysfunction manifests itself gradually. Sexual desire is there, orgasm occurs, but the penis loses its hardness in the process of intimacy. Every day the erection weakens. This indicates the presence of a disease.

With the mixed nature of the disorder, the two mentioned factors appear simultaneously for appropriate reasons.

Causes of impotence

It is advisable to list the most common causes of this male sexual function disorder:

Taking medications or certain other substances. We are talking about the use of drugs that reduce the activity of the cerebral cortex and thus reduce the production of testosterone, antidepressants, antiallergics, etc. This also includes alcohol and drugs.
Psychological factors are standard - depression, constant stress, severe neurosis. Inconsistencies in addictions and desires in sex with a partner or a bad relationship with her, fear of failure in sexual intercourse, banal fatigue at work. Much depends on the partner - his excessive perseverance or the "wrong" word that came out can contribute to the weakening of the erection.
Various neurological diseases, circulatory disorders, injuries to the penis, pelvis or perineum, etc.
The abnormal functionality of the endocrine system implies a violation of the production of the male hormone, caused by genetic flaws, tumors, infections and old age. Obesity also alters the hormonal background, and as this problem has now also affected young representatives of the strong half of humanity, doctors are concerned that impotence is increasingly being diagnosed in this part of the population.

In addition to the above, epilepsy, penile trauma, and vascular sclerosis can all contribute to the onset of impotence. The latter interrupts blood flow to the genitals through the arteries, which is necessary for an erection, so it is weak or completely absent. Also, problems with the veins lead to rapid arousal of the penis, but it quickly disappears and intercourse cannot be completed normally.

Difficulties with blood vessels are generally dangerous for the male population of Earth. Violation of its inner shell is common for people who suffer from autoimmune diseases, as well as those who smoke heavily. There is also a disease called penile angiospasm, which is characterized by impaired blood circulation in the vessels of the penis.

Beware of Masculinity

The cause of impotence is sometimes congenital anomalies of the penis. This is rare Peyronie's disease - the opening to the urethra is located incorrectly.

Another natural violation is a defect in the frenulum, a longitudinal skinfold. It is located between the head of the penis and the foreskin and has the following purpose: when excited, it opens the head, regulates its curvature and prevents it from moving. If the frenulum is short, the man will feel pain during intercourse, even spots may appear.

In addition, this defect leads to premature ejaculation, so the man gets used to holding back during sex to prolong it. As a result, this is fraught with stably erectile dysfunction. Everything can be corrected very quickly and easily by surgically dissecting the frenulum. The operation is simple, takes little time and is well practiced.

Separately, it should be said about injuries to the genital organ (bruises, burns, gunshot wounds and stab wounds, accidents) that lead to impotence. If you do get them, you should immediately see a doctor for help, and the sooner this is done, the more likely you are to prevent complete irreversible erectile dysfunction.

Penis fracture during violent intercourse, blow or bending. There is a dangerous rupture of the cavernous bodies for potency, there is intense pain, a bruise, the organ swells. Depending on the severity of the situation, compresses or surgery may be prescribed as treatment;
injury from a fall, exercise, in a fight. Such a closed lesion violates the urethra, is manifested by a bruise, pain when walking. Treatment - non-steroidal analgesics, compresses, rarely - surgery;
burns from chemicals, boiling water, ultraviolet rays;
Subcutaneous hemorrhage, in which blood vessels are damaged, swelling occurs. It is dangerous because during healing scars can form which can become an obstacle to blood flow, without which an erection is impossible. A cold compress can help.

Impotence can be caused by a combination of anatomical and psychological factors: a person after an injury had sex and experienced very severe pain. In the future, on a subconscious level, he will be afraid to have sexual intercourse, which, sooner or later, will usually lead to the impossibility of an erection.

Hypothetically dangerous and some operations. So, the famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, author of the world-famous musicals "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera", publicly declared: he is impotent and he was left that way after the operation - he had a prostate tumor removed. Such a surgical intervention can actually cause impotence, but in this case, doctors save a person's life. However, if you are regularly checked by a urologist, prostate cancer or adenoma can be detected at an early stage and your treatment can be started in time. So, such an operation, leading to the loss of sexual function, will not be necessary.

Treatment

Any modern man, from young to old, is inevitably subject to stress in the life cycle. Some have bad habits, are malnourished and inactive due to the specifics of work. All this leads to a deterioration of health, including in the sexual sphere. Modesty does not allow a man to go to the doctor and confess his impotence, but that is a false idea.

In any case, whatever the causes and manifestations of erectile dysfunction, you should immediately contact a specialist. Currently, sexologists are able to help in the fight against several cases of impotence, as they have a huge arsenal of tools for this.

Warning: Self-treatment for this sexual disorder is dangerous as pills and erection support devices advertised everywhere help for a while and can even harm. Its use will lead to the loss of precious time, during which the problem will only get worse.

It should be noted that very rarely the treatment is the use of a single method that eliminates the pathological factor. As a rule, an integrated approach is much more effective, especially if the case (and this often happens) is neglected. This method of dealing with erectile dysfunction quickly restores sexual function by eliminating the factors that led to the disorder and helps the patient to deal with the uncertainty that developed when impotence occurred.

Of course, erectile dysfunction is not a deadly problem, but because of it, a man's quality of life drops, his health and mood deteriorate, and families fall apart. So getting rid of it is essential.

Impotence has long ceased to be a sentence. If a man has the first signs, symptoms, he just needs to seek help from a urologist. Early impotence most often develops against the background of inflammatory processes, STDs - their treatment has long been fast and successful, with timely access to specialists.