When you have erectile dysfunction (ED), you have hundreds of thoughts going through your head. You might be wondering what happened, what your partner is thinking, and if something is wrong with you. Plus, you might not stop thinking, “I wonder if this is my heart.” But there is an important link between erectile dysfunction and heart disease, so we need to know more.
Depression and anxiety are two very common health problems in the United States and unfortunately can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction. Be aware that there are many options to help you with mental health issues and erectile dysfunction. The key is to talk to your doctor or contact a psychologist. Together they try to find a solution that works for you.
What is erectile dysfunction (ED)?
Erectile dysfunction, which is difficult to get or maintain an erection long enough to have sex, is a condition that affects millions of men around the world. Due to the popularity of erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Cialis, it may be tempting to immediately go out and seek prescription treatment if erectile dysfunction is a recurring problem for you. However, erectile dysfunction can be the result of many different causes, including heart disease, so it’s important to understand the root cause of your erectile dysfunction and manage it properly to stay as healthy as possible.
What do we mean by “heart disease”?
“Heart disease” might sound like a pretty broad term. It’s because that’s it. Heart disease includes various conditions related to the heart itself and / or blood vessels. Here are some common examples:
- Heart attack
- Myocardial infarction
- Career
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Some people are born with heart defects, but more often than not, people develop heart disease over time.
- Four of the most important risk factors for heart disease include:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- To smoke
These are also important risk factors for erectile dysfunction. Therefore, if you have any of these risk factors and also suffer from erectile dysfunction, you should definitely see a doctor to see if you have heart disease.
How are heart disease and erectile dysfunction related?
Your heart and blood vessels are very important for erections. After all, an erection is achieved when the blood vessels in the penis open up, allowing more blood to enter the penis and cause an erection. If for some reason the blood flow is interrupted, blocked, or slowed down, you may not be able to get or maintain an erection.
Depending on the specific condition, heart disease can affect blood flow in different ways. For example, blood may not get to all parts of the body if your heart is not pumping hard enough, if your blood vessels are damaged (for example, due to high blood pressure), or if you have a blood clot. in your body. blood vessels (which may be due to high cholesterol or irregular heartbeat). For this reason, erectile dysfunction can often be one of the first signs of underlying heart disease.
Can drugs that treat heart disease cause erectile dysfunction as a side effect?
If the relationship between erectile dysfunction and heart disease isn’t interesting enough, an extra layer should be considered. So far we’ve learned that heart disease can sometimes be the cause of erectile dysfunction, and high blood pressure is a risk factor for both heart disease and erectile dysfunction. However, some antihypertensive agents have been shown to cause erectile dysfunction as a side effect. The main culprits are often diuretics (such as hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide) and beta blockers (such as atenolol and metoprolol), while other types of blood pressure medications less often cause dysfunction. erectile.
If you have erectile dysfunction and heart disease and are taking medicines to lower your blood pressure, it is important that your healthcare professional knows if erectile dysfunction is a side effect of your medicine or if your medicine is not controlling it. well heart disease. good enough to maintain an erection. You and your provider may need to change the dose, try alternative medicines, or consider other medicines to control heart disease.