Advertisements such as Viva Viagra are pounded into our brains everyday as the answer to erectile dysfunction or ED. The problem is that these clever and entertaining ads don’t tell people that ED can also be a sign of something more serious such as vascular disease. ED is not only about the inability to obtain and keep an erection, it can be a warning signal of other underlying diseases or even a warning that a heart attack is in the not so distant future.
Everyone is fully aware of the fact that it has been proven smoking leads to heart disease and cancer. However, it is not widely known that men age 40 to 49 are at a greater risk for these two diseases and men who smoke increase their risk for ED as well.
Erectile dysfunction is characterized by the inability to get or maintain an erect penis, which could lead to a problematic sexual relationship with your significant other. While this condition can have other underlying disease factors such as diabetes and hypertension, smoking only serves to compound the problem.
Affects of smoking on the vascular system:
An erection is based on the health of a man’s vascular system. In a man who smokes, an erection may be hampered as smoking causes the blood vessels of the vascular system to become narrow.
There are two erectile bodies in the shaft of the penis called corpus cavernosum. They are made up of smooth muscle and blood vessels. The penis becomes erect when the corpus cavernosum fills with blood and maintains the erection by shutting down the veins that carry blood away from the penis. Erectile dysfunction occurs when this process is interrupted.
In 2000, a study in China suggested that the number of cigarettes smoked by a man impacted his ability to gain an erection. The study also indicated that erectile dysfunction was even more prominent in those with diabetes as well. In addition, men who have high blood pressure may also be affected by ED due to certain side effects o the medications prescribed to regulate it.
Heart Disease and Erectile Dysfunction:
It is a well known fact among health care professionals that erectile dysfunction is indicative of vascular disease. It is a two to three year warning sign of myocardial infarction (heart attack). Many men who have consulted with their physicians about their ED after a heart attack, had erection problems two to three years before their cardiac event. This warning sign goes largely ignored by their doctors.
Even though ED is a prime indicator for heart disease, it is most commonly recognized as a recreational problem rather than a warning sign of something more serious.
If you are a man with erectile dysfunction and you smoke, Viagra may not be the answer you seek or need. A cardiovascular work up may be in order instead.
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