Does low blood pressure cause erectile dysfunction?
For a man, erectile dysfunction is a tough situation to handle. It affects not only his physical condition but also his mental state and relationship with his partner. It is a medical condition that can be triggered due to a number of factors. It can be due to the side effects of medicines, anxiety, mental stress, and lack of sleep. One must not keep it secret when one suffers from such a condition and seek guidance from an expert doctor who can find the right cause and offer treatment to cure it. The main problem is males don’t understand it as a disease and take it seriously, which affects health again. Before even understanding the link between low blood pressure and erectile dysfunction, it is essential to know how erectile dysfunction works. Achieving enough or proper erection is a complicated process. There are many things in the body that influence a healthy erection.
Anatomy of an Erection
Corpora Cavernosa is the spongy tissue present in side-by-side chambers of the penis. These spongy tissues are behind healthy erections. There is one more chamber just below them, and it is called Corpus Spongiosum. Apart from this, there is the urethra, which runs through the center of Corpus Spongiosum. The urethra is responsible for carrying urine and semen.
When there is an erection, signals from nerve endings present in the penis result in relaxation in smooth muscles, and they dilate arteries. The process results in enough blood flow to the empty spaces. When there is enough blood flow, the penis stiffens and expands, leading to a healthy erection. When the excitement stops, the smooth muscle will contract again; by this time, blood will flow back from the penis, and it gains a flaccid state.
The link between blood pressure and erectile dysfunction
There is no link between low blood pressure and erectile dysfunction. But, studies have proved that high blood pressure is one of the primary causes of erectile dysfunction. Some research also reported that at least 49% of men aged between 40 and 79 suffer from erectile dysfunction and cause is high blood pressure.
Several studies have shown that the majority of men suffering from high blood pressure also have erectile dysfunction. So, high blood pressure is the primary cause of ED. The most important thing to note here is, ED resulted from high blood pressure is usually considered severe.
The reason behind this is when there is high blood pressure; it causes arteries to dilate. Hence the arteries carrying blood to the penis do not work as expected. When blood flow is absent, the smooth muscle in the penis loses its ability to relax. When they do not relax, there is no healthy blood flow to the penis and no erection.
Blood Pressure Variation and Erectile Dysfunction
When men have erectile dysfunction, they also suffer from low testosterone levels. Testosterone is the primary hormone for sexual arousal, and it is known as the male hormone. So, high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction have direct relations. But, there is one more thing to consider, and that is drugs consumed for controlling high blood pressure. The medication consumed for treating or controlling high blood pressure may lead to erectile.
When a man consumes diuretics, it leads to a decreased force of blood flow. So, when there is less force of blood flow to the penis, it can result in erectile dysfunction. Apart from this, diuretics even reduce the zinc level in men’s body. Zinc is necessary to release a healthy testosterone level. Apart from this, in some cases, the choices men make may also worsen erectile dysfunction.
Men with high blood pressure may depend on bad habits like smoking, and that results in increased blood pressure. Smoking results in damaged blood vessels, which creates issues like reduced blood flow in the entire body.
Final Verdict
Even though there is medication available for all types of health issues, it is possible to control your health and health issues through a healthy lifestyle. Blood pressure control is in your hands and so as sexual health. Through following a regular exercise routine and living a healthy lifestyle can reduce symptoms of high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction. It is possible to regain normal blood flow, blood pressure, and sexual health through a healthy lifestyle.