IMPOTENCE is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse, and includes the inability to get an erection as a result of sexual stimulation or to lose your erection prior to ejaculation. The medical point of view regarding impotence used to be that is was caused by anxiety. We now have scientific evidence that most impotence is caused by circulatory problems ranging from clogged arteries to high blood pressure. Medication, alcohol, tobacco, performance anxiety, depression, and stress can aggravate the problem. In fact, anything that disrupts blood flow to the penis can disrupt your erection. If your body cannot deliver enough blood to engorge the penis, it really does not matter how sexually aroused you are. Researchers find that the risk factors for impotence are essentially the same as for heart disease. High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure cause plaques to form in the arteries to the genitals too. There are additional ways that diet can contribute to impotence. Fatty diets contribute to diabetes, which can lead to impotence by accelerating the thickening of the blood vessels that reduce blood flow. Some drugs used to treat high blood pressure and other diet-related diseases can also interfere with sexual functions. Anything that increases estrogen levels in men will create a corresponding drop or suppression of testosterone and androstenedione. Men can create a hormone imbalance by eating meat or dairy products from animals that have been fed estrogens. Health experts around the world agree that small amounts of alcohol, in particular red wine, can be good for you. Alcohol consumed in moderate amounts can release sexual inhibitions, intensify libido and temporarily enhance feelings of wellbeing and self-esteem. But over-consumption gradually depresses those fleeting moments of euphoria and eventually leads to alcohol impotence. Impotence does not generally include other symptoms such as lack of libido, inability to ejaculate or the inability to achieve orgasm. However, long-term alcohol abuse affects the nervous system and impairs the impulses between the brain’s pituitary gland and the genitals. The nervous system is responsible for triggering the signals that dilate and relax the blood vessels in the penis, resulting in an erection. Clinical studies have shown that prolonged alcohol abuse causes irreversible damage to the nerves in the penis, which results in alcohol impotence. Excessive drinking also results in behavioural changes that reduce sexual desire and inhibit sexual performance. Concentration and judgment become cloudy and physical activity and movement are impaired. Alcoholism also disrupts hormone levels, in particular, testosterone and estrogen. Low levels of testosterone diminish sexual drive and function. Case studies have shown that long-term alcohol abuse causes alcohol impotence in men even when they are sober. Apart from the damage caused to the nervous system by alcoholism, it is believed that the associated decline in physical and psychological health can contribute to this. Excessive drinking is often associated with other negative factors like smoking, over-eating, lack of exercise and drug abuse. Regardless of whether alcohol abuse is caused by physical or psychological factors, the bottom line is that at best excess alcohol leads to chronic sexual under-performance and at worst chronic alcohol impotence. The most important factor in seeking treatment for alcohol abuse is to acknowledge that a problem exists and that help is available. Many of the adverse physical and psychological effects caused by alcoholism can be reversed or overcome if the problem is treated early enough. A number of treatment options are available to help overcome alcohol impotence. Usually the first course of action is impotence drug therapy. Impotence pills such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra have proven to be very successful in treating male impotence. If there has been vascular damage caused by excessive alcohol, impotence injections provide a reliable, safe and effective treatment for alcohol impotence. Actually you can help yourself! When you take care of the blood supply to your penis, you can enjoy sex all your life. Stop smoking, cut alcohol consumption, exercise aerobically, eliminate the “bad” fat in your diet, keep your weight down, watch your medication use, forget illegal drugs, avoid stress and anger.
