Blood Pressure & Impotence - What are the chances
May 8th, 2008 byTo better understand how high blood pressure can lead to ED, we first need to have understanding of how erection works. Getting an erection might seem like an easy job but is really a complicated process.
Anatomy of an Erection
In the rod of the penis there are 2 side-by-side chambers of spongy tissue called the corpora cavernosa. They are the ones mainly responsible for erections. Just below the compartments is another storage called the corpus spongiosum. The urethra, which carries semen and urine, runs through the center of it.
When a men gets an erection, nerve signals from your brain or from the nerve endings in your penis cause the smooth muscle of the chambers to relax and arteries to dilate, or open wider. This allows a lot of blood to fill the empty area. The pressure of blood flow is what causes someone to get an erection.
Factors Responsible for erection problems
High blood pressure is a major cause of erection problems. Research found that about 49% of men ages 40-79 with high blood pressure had of erection problems.
High blood pressure keeps the arteries that carry blood into the penis from dilating the way they’re supposed to. It also makes the smooth muscle in the penis lose its ability to relax. As a result, not enough blood flows into the penis to make it erect.
Men with high blood pressure may also have a low testosterone level. Testosterone is the male hormone that plays a big role in sexual arousal.
High blood pressure by itself can lead to erectile dysfunction. But some drugs for treating high blood pressure can actually be the cause as well.
Diuretics (or water pills) and beta-blockers are the blood pressure drugs most commonly linked to erectile dysfunction.
Diuretics may cause erectile dysfunction by decreasing the force of blood flow into the penis. They may also lower the measurement of zinc in the body. Our body needs zinc to make testosterone.
Beta-adrenergic blocking agents dampen the response to nerve cells that lead to an erection. They also make it more difficult for the arteries in the penis to widen and let the blood in. What’s more, they can make one feel calm and spiritless - and the mind always plays some act in sexual arousal.
Sometimes, some choices men with high blood pressure make can add to the problem. Smoking, usually, is one of those. Smoking increases blood pressure, and damages blood vessels and reduces blood circulation all around the body.
The power to take control of your blood pressure and your sexual health is in your own hands. By living a healthy lifestyle and working with your medical practitioner, there’s a very good chance you’ll once again be able to have normal sexual function.
At the end, if you happen to have erection problems, then talk to your medical practitioner regarding tadalafil (cialis tadalafil 20mg pills)to see which is the right treatment for you.