According to the National Institutes of Health, impotence or erectile dysfunction – ED - is defined as the inability to attain or sustain an erection adequate for satisfactory sexual intercourse. It occurs when there is reduced blood flow to the penis or nerve damage, both of which can be triggered by a variety of factors.
Scientists once believed that ED was an emotional issue alone and it is was a problem only of the mind and not of the body. But today they know that physical factors are just as important as psychological triggers—stress, marital/family discord, job instability, depression and performance anxiety—in provoking this problem.
Recent data suggests a physical (or organic) cause in more than half of all cases, especially those involving older men. It is important to note that hundreds of medications can also contribute to impotence while they fight allergic reactions, high blood pressure, ulcers, fungal infections, anxiety, depression and psychoses.
Latest surveys estimate that about 30 million American men (representing 50% of men over age 40) suffer from erectile dysfunction. This equates to approximately 1 man in 10, with that number becoming even larger by age 50, at which time, 1 man in 4 is believed to be affected. About 5% of men at the age of forty, and between 15% and 25% of men at the age of sixty-five experience impotence. Some experts suggest the numbers may be underreported since men are still embarrassed by this physical and psychological issue. However, the reassuring news is that it is treatable in all age groups.
Despite the fact that erectile dysfunction increases with age, it is not a foregone conclusion that men must become less sexually active as they age. Erectile dysfunction is not an inevitable part of aging and, the reassuring news is that, it is treatable in all age groups. Awareness of this fact has been growing. More men have been seeking help and returning to normal sexual activity because of improved, successful treatments for erectile dysfunction
A healthy sex life contributes to an improved quality of life and can have profound ramifications on emotional and physical well being. |
