Why erectile dysfunction emerges? | HealthInfi

Erectile Dysfunction Emerges

To understand why the erectile dysfunction occurs, it is useful to know how an erection arises. When a man is sexually excited, his brain sends signals to nerve endings in the tissues of the penis. This causes dilation of blood vessels in the penis and increases blood flow to it, which, in turn, leads to an erection. At the same time, those vessels, through which usually occurs outflow of blood from the penis, are dwindling. This combination of increased blood flow to the penis and reducing it outflow, which leads to a full erection. After the sexual act occur the outflow of blood from the penis, and he returns to the relaxed state.

A new study reveals telling details about the complex process of maintaining sustaining erections, one that may help scientists develop more effective drugs to treat erectile dysfunction.

Erections are caused by the release of nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that’s produced in the nerve tissue, which helps the muscles to relax and allows blood to flow to the penis. But the new paper, published in the journal Proceedings, highlights what occurs after the initial erection. Known as phosphorylation, this biochemical process turns off and on the production of nitric oxide “in a sustained way,” says Dr. Arthur Burnett, senior author of the study and a professor of urology at Johns Hopkins University.

“We now have an all together better understanding of this mechanism,” says Dr. Burnett. “We can now exploit that with possibly new therapies that will target that mechanism.”Dr. Burnett and his team used tiny electrodes to stimulate the mice. “The basic biology of erections at the rodent level is the same as in humans,” he explains.

There are some 30 million men suffering from erectile dysfunction, and several causes have been identified that include poor blood flow, heart disease, and/or obesity. Erectile dysfunction is also a side effect of many common medications, including antidepressants, diuretics, and beta-blockers. Treatment for erectile dysfunction is primarily the prescription drugs Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis. However, this class of drugs has been know to cause serious side effect, such as headache, dizziness, mood changes, heart problems, neuropathy, and even seizures.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and heart disease have been closely associated with each other in recent years. As science has developed leaps and bounds, numerous studies over the years have provided evidence to show that many men who have difficulty achieving and sustaining an erection, will show early signs of atherosclerosis; a hardening of the arteries. Links have also been established between heart disease and the severe gum disease known as ‘periodontitis’.

This is a condition whereby inflammation and infection occurs within tissue supporting your teeth and is the result of gingivitis being left untreated. It is a very serious condition sometimes resulting in tooth loss, and infection of gums and the jaw bones. Periodontitis is the main culprit for adult tooth loss and it is estimated annually in the United Kingdom that there are six cases of severe periodontitis for every 100,000 people. If left untreated, it may increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke.

However, an intriguing study of patients in Turkey published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests that men with ED are three times more likely to have gum disease than men who do not suffer from impotence. The Turkish researchers examined 80 male patients with ED and 82 male patients without it. Non-smokers were specifically chosen for the study as smoking is known to be a massive cause for both ED and gum disease. In addition, all patients involved were aged between 30 and 40 years of age to dismiss the prospect of age as being risk factor.

Before determining any results from their study, scientists took into account things such as education status, household income and body mass index (BMI), with both groups being similar in these regards. After all these important points were taken into account, the link between ED and bad oral hygiene still stood up.Read More