By 2025, it is expected that more than 322 million men worldwide will suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED). Needless to say, this will be quite a big problem for a large number of men. ED is already a common problem, but it is likely going to become more common due to a variety of reasons such as obesity, health problems like diabetes, and most importantly, high blood pressure.
Can high blood pressure cause erectile dysfunction, you might ask? Indeed, it can. Not many people know this, but the way high blood pressure affects the body can certainly impact a man’s sexual health in a negative way.
But how? Keep reading this erectile dysfunction guide and learn more about how erectile dysfunction happens, why it happens, and what high blood pressure has to do with it.
What You Need To Know About ED
Erectile happens for all sorts of reasons, but it is always rooted in problems with blood flow. An erection is only possible if enough blood can rush to the penis and then stay in the penis. The penis is designed to hold a lot of blood due to the fact that it consists of two special types of tissues: the corpus spongiosum and the corpus cavernosum.
Both of these tissues are very spongy and are designed to absorb a lot of blood and then lock that blood inside the penis. This causes an erection and usually happens when a man becomes sexually aroused. Erectile dysfunction can take many different forms, but it always has something to do with either not enough blood being able to flow into the penis or not enough blood being able to stay in the penis once it gets there.
For example, some men are able to get an erection but they quickly lose it before they can have sex. The problem is that the tissues and blood vessels inside the penis are not able to keep the blood in that area, and as a result, the penis is not able to stay firm. Some men have another problem in which they are unable to get an erection at all.
The Details
This is a problem of the blood in the body not being able to enter the penis in a high enough quantity to cause an erection. ED may either be occasional or chronic. Occasional ED is usually nothing to worry about and it may even go away on its own.
However, chronic ED often correlates with more serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and so on. If you find that you are chronically unable to get an erection, then you should talk to your doctor right away. This is a sign that you need to address one or more serious health problems before they get any worse.
As mentioned before, high blood pressure has a lot to do with erectile dysfunction, though not many people are aware of this or how it works. How can high blood pressure affect a man’s ability to get an erection exactly?
Can High Blood Pressure Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
It is not so much that high blood pressure causes ED but rather what causes high blood pressure also causes ED. This is because high blood pressure is almost always caused due to some kind of constriction of the blood vessels in the body. This constriction can happen anywhere in the body, but it often occurs in the blood vessels surrounding the heart.
For example, as a person gets older, they will start to develop plaque buildup in their blood vessels. Most people have a bit of plaque buildup and it won’t do very much. However, if a person has a poor diet or doesn’t exercise (or if a person has a family history of this condition), the problem will get much worse.
Over the years, a person’s blood vessels will get more and more clogged until it becomes very difficult for the blood to flow throughout the body. Also, the pressure in a person’s blood vessels will rise because the blood has to be forced through very small tubes (the blood vessels) in order for the blood to go where it needs to go.
What to Know
There are many high blood pressure symptoms to look out for besides ED. For example, some of the symptoms include shortness of breath, headaches, and nosebleeds. However, some people may not exhibit any symptoms.
On the other hand, some people may only have ED as a symptom. If you have high blood pressure, it will be very difficult for your body to provide the penis with enough blood to become erect. Even if a man feels sexually aroused and wants to have sex, the penis may still not become erect because the body is physically unable to send enough blood to the right area.
For that reason, it is important to get high blood pressure treated before it gets any worse. Besides that, certain ED treatments like shockwave therapy can also help. Many men are starting to try shockwave therapy since it is painless and only after a few sessions, men often experience a huge reduction in their ED symptoms.
All About ED and High Blood Pressure
Can high blood pressure cause erectile dysfunction? Yes, it can, and if left untreated, you may always struggle to get an erection or you may not be able to get one at all. The only way to fix the problem is to treat your high blood pressure and also consider ED treatments like shockwave therapy.
If you want to know more, learn about how shockwave therapy works here.