[mr.miyagi]

Mr.Miyagi to the RESCUE!!!!!1

# Most men will experience an erection problem at least once. This could be due to stress, exhaustion, too much alcohol or simply not feeling like sex.
# Persistent erectile dysfunction (ED) is estimated to affect about 10% of men at any one time.
# Although age itself isn't a cause of erectile dysfunction (ED), the risk nevertheless increases as you get older: 18% of 50–59 year olds have trouble with their erections compared with 7% of 18–29 year olds.

What causes it?

There are two main causes of ED: physical and psychological. Most doctors agree that the majority of cases are physical but it's also clear that many men with ED also quickly start to feel anxious, stressed or depressed. These feelings can easily make the symptoms of ED worse.

The main physical causes are:

* Diabetes. Up to 25% of all diabetic men aged 30–34 are affected by ED, as are 75% of diabetic men aged 60–64.
* Inadequate blood flow to the penis because arteries have got furred-up (a condition called atherosclerosis) or damaged. This causes about 40% of ED cases in men aged over 50. Smoking cigarettes, which is implicated in up to 80% of ED cases, constricts the blood vessels and is a major cause of damage to the arteries leading to the penis. One little-known cause of damage to key blood vessels is cycling.
* Regular heavy drinking. Alcohol can damage the nerves leading to the penis, reduce testosterone levels and increase levels of the female hormone oestrogen.
* The side-effects of prescribed drugs, particularly those used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, peptic ulcers and cancer. As many as 25% of ED cases may be caused by drugs taken to treat other conditions.
* Spinal cord injury. Almost a quarter of men with spinal injury are affected by ED.
* Prostate gland surgery (or other surgery around the pelvis). The risk of ED depends on the type of surgery, but up to 30% of men who have a radical prostatectomy (the complete removal of the gland affected by cancer) will experience ED.

The main psychological causes of ED are:

* Relationship conflicts
* Stress and anxiety
* Depression (90% of men affected by depression also have complete or moderate ED)
* Unresolved sexual orientation
* Sexual boredom

One rough-and-ready way of working out whether your ED has a physical cause is to see whether there any circumstances in which you get an erection. If you can produce one when masturbating but not with a partner, wake up with an erection, or have erections during the night, then there's a good chance that your ED has psychological causes.

How can I prevent it?

* Have a healthy lifestyle. Quitting smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation will help. Regular aerobic exercise and a low-fat diet will also reduce the risks of atherosclerosis.
* If you have diabetes, ensure it's properly controlled.

How can I help myself?

* Share your worries. No, you don't have to tell your work colleagues about your penis problems, but it will help enormously if you can talk to someone you trust. It's particularly important to communicate with your partner. Some men try to deal with their ED by hiding it from their partner and make all sorts of excuses not to attempt sex. This can cause feelings of confusion and rejection as well as suspicions that you're having an affair. You best bet is to be as open and honest as possible with your partner and ask for support.
* Place less emphasis on intercourse and more on developing other forms of sexual intimacy. Spending time cuddling, kissing, licking and massaging can still be pleasurable and will help keep you emotionally close to your partner.
* Don't try and treat yourself by seeking out pornography, or by asking a partner to wear erotic clothing or act out your fantasies. This almost certainly won't work and could leave you feeling even more upset.
* Don't be tempted to buy herbal supplements or so-called aphrodisiacs through the Internet or magazine advertisements. You can't be sure what you're getting and these remedies are very unlikely to work.
* Don't blame yourself for your ED. It's a health problem and not a reflection of your masculinity. Don't be tempted to blame your partner either.

freak: