Smoking causes impotence
Impotence is the inability to get an erection that’s firm enough to have sex. It’s also called erectile dysfunction. Smoking is a cause of impotence.
Impotence is common in Australia, where 1 in 5 men over the age of 40 have some problem with erections and 1 in 10 men over 40 are unable to get an erection. Impotence does not just happen to older men. Even in their 40s, 1 in 10 men have problems maintaining an erection.
It’s not a disease, but it’s a sign of another health problem. Impotence has many causes, including:
- psychological issues
- heart and blood vessel diseases
- diabetes
- smoking.
As people age, impotence becomes more common. As they get older, men who smoke have more trouble than non-smokers with getting firm erections.
Scientific studies have shown that for every 100 non-smokers over the age of 40 who get impotence, there are about 130 to 150 smokers who suffer from it.
Living with impotence is difficult
Impotence usually means being unable to have sex in the way that you wish and often being unable to have sex at all. Impotence can be devastating for men and for couples.
With impotence, men often feel a loss of masculinity that has a terrible effect on their lives. They can feel anger, frustration, or sadness.
Problems with erections and having sex puts strain on couples. This can lead to a loss of intimacy and sometimes triggers the end of relationships. Dating and starting a new relationship with erection problems can seem impossible.
Several drug treatments are available for impotence, but some can’t be safely used by men with heart problems. For men whose impotence is not helped by these drugs, injections of drugs directly into the penis may help achieve an erection.
Some men may find help from vacuum erection devices. Unfortunately for some men, none of the available treatments work.
How does smoking cause impotence?
Scientists have discovered some ways that smoking affects the penis. They believe that these effects cause the damage that reduces erections.
An erection requires blood flow to the penis. Nicotine and other chemicals from cigarettes may be reducing blood flow to the penis. Smoking for many years damages the blood vessels in the penis.
Smoking may lead to impotence in other ways, as it causes diabetes and heart and blood vessel diseases, which can lead to impotence.
You can quit smoking
The best way to avoid the damage to your penis done by smoking is to not smoke. Quitting smoking will help to reduce your risk of conditions that may cause impotence, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
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