The American Heart Association designated May as American Stroke and High Blood Pressure Education Month because they want you to think about how hypertension (i.e., high blood pressure) affects your health. But you can’t stop thinking about your (lack of) erections. The two may be related.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects about 322 million men around the world. That’s a lot of frustration and disappointment.
Some men chalk up ED as a consequence of aging. And, certainly, the older you get, the more likely it is that you’ll have ED, which is the inability to attain or maintain an erection long enough for sexual satisfaction.
However, although ED is certainly influenced by aging — which you can’t control — other factors in its evolution are absolutely within your control. One factor is your blood pressure. Don’t think you have high blood pressure? You may still have it; HBP almost never has symptoms.
Expert urologist Alex Lesani, MD, diagnoses and treats ED at our office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of his ED treatment recommendations include lifestyle changes that keep your blood pressure at normal levels.
How is high blood pressure (HBP) associated with ED? Here’s what you should know.
Erections are hydraulic events that rely on several processes interacting together to create an erection. Whether you’re presented with physical stimuli (i.e., a partner or representation of a partner) or emotional stimuli (i.e., memories or fantasies), the very thought of sex sparks your brain into action.
Normally, as much blood flows out of your penis as flows into it. That’s why it stays soft more often than not. But when you’re sexually aroused, your brain sends out signals that affect your:
Your brain tells your nerves to send signals to your blood vessels and also to the sponge-like tissues in your penis called the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum. Your heart beats faster when you’re aroused, sending more blood into your penis to fill up those vessels and tissues.
As the spongy tissues swell with blood, they press against the blood vessels in your penis. That keeps some of the blood from flowing onward. Instead, it stays in your penis, so your penis becomes (and for the moment) stays hard.
The above description refers to a healthy cardiovascular system. Your heart pumps blood, the blood rushes through your veins into your penis, and there it stays until you’ve orgasmed.
However, if you have HBP, the hydraulics don’t work the way they should. Either you have too much blood in your body (due to diet or other factors) or your blood vessels are narrowed or stiffened by disease or plaque. The result is that when your heart pumps blood through your veins, the blood stresses the walls of your vessels.
Your blood can’t pump as freely and easily as it would if your BP were normal. So, when it comes to an erection, your blood doesn’t gush into your penis and — if you do achieve an erection — the spongy tissues can’t exert enough pressure on your blood vessels to keep the blood in the penis.
The good news is that if you get your blood pressure under control, your ED may improve, too. During your ED consultation with Dr. Lesani, he stresses the importance of lifestyle to improve your overall health, reduce your blood pressure, and help with ED. This may include changes such as:
If you’re under stress, or if you experience depression or anxiety, you may benefit from counseling. Or, if you’re having relationship difficulties, you and your partner could benefit from couples counseling. Chronic stress of all types can affect both your blood pressure and your sexual performance.
Some medications you may need for your health could raise your blood pressure as a side effect. You can talk to your doctor about adjusting the dose. You may also need to consult a cardiologist and take medication to control HBP.
Don’t start taking a drug for ED if you already know that you have HBP. For the most part, Viagra® and other ED drugs are safe to use with HBP if you’re otherwise in good health. However, you should check with Dr. Lesani first.
To get help with ED and with making the lifestyle changes that will improve your BP and your sex life, as well as your overall health, call us at 702-470-2579 or book your appointment online today.
