Erectile dysfunction in itself is not a dangerous disease, unless you consider sexual inadequacy is worse than death. However it can be a signal of many other dangerous diseases which may kill you. So if you are suffering from any form of impotency, then it is time you visit the doctor get a full medical checkup.

Doctors first and foremost concern when treating erectile dysfunction patients is about heart diseases. “Any form of cardiovascular disease is more likely to occur in men who have erectile dysfunction,” said Dr Ira Sharlip, a past president of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America. There you have it. Impotent men are more likely to have heart attacks.

Healthy erections depend largely on healthy blood flow to the penis. Therefore any diseases that affect the blood vessels such as atherosclerosis (arteries hardening) and hypertension can cause abnormal blood flow to the penis and this may affect the status of your erections.

In a highly significant research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005 tracked a group of men for almost a decade years showed the strong inter-relationship between impotency and the appearance of coronary heart disease.

Erectile dysfunction patients were found to have a higher incidence of heart attacks and strokes. This study also showed that these men will develop cardiac symptoms in just a matter of 3 to 4 years.

Testosterone, commonly regarded as the male hormone is also important for erections and sex drive. So if you have trouble with your tool or have low libido, you may also be suffering from low levels of testosterone.

Besides the aging process, low levels of testosterone can be caused by problems with your pituitary gland. This gland which is found in the brain regulates the production of testosterone. Other diseases that cause low levels of testosterone may include thyroid disorder, liver problems and even abnormalities in the testes. So if you are unable to have healthy erections, it may be because something else may be hampering your natural testosterone production.

Healthy erections depend on signals from the brain that say when to get hard and when to relax to the penis. So if you are unable to get an erection, it can also be caused by the nerves carrying signals from the brain to the penis not performing its job. In other words, you may be suffering from some nerves disorder too.

Impotency can also be a signal that you may have diabetes. Often times, men first visit the doctor for the blue pills and subsequently are diagnosed with diabetes. This is because the same elevated blood insulin levels that cause the blood vessel and nerve damage in a diabetic patient can also lead to complications in blood flow and nerve damage to the penis.

Besides heart diseases and diabetes are usually linked together because coronary arterial damage is a complication of diabetics as well. Although coronary artery diseases (CAD) can affect your erection on its own accord, but the erectile dysfunction condition is nine times more likely in men who suffer from both CAD and diabetes, than from men who have diabetes without CAD. Guys having erectile dysfunction should be screened for both diabetes and CAD.

Now that you know how erectile dysfunction can be a harbinger of other more dangerous diseases, don’t you think it is time to pay your doctor a visit?

Author Bio: Chris Chew is a health and fitness consultant. Read about male sexual enhancements at Testosterone sex aphrodisiac and Harder penis erection pills

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: erectile dysfunction, impotency, heart diseases, diabetes