The Tie-In Between ED and Heart Disease

Seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) could be actually a blessing in disguise if you are at risk for heart disease. The same issues that contribute to ED are also the same ones that contribute to heart disease as well. With erectile dysfunction, it is an embarrassing situation but it isn’t a deadly one however heart disease it could be.

Problems in the bedroom department, not being able to maintain an erection, are one of the early warning signals for men that heart disease may be present. If you pay attention to your body and seek help for your ED, you would be doing yourself a huge favor health-wise. If you can understand the ties between ED and heart disease, this will enable you to identify the symptoms of heart disease while you can still do something about it, even perhaps halt its progression. On the flip side, if you know you have heart disease, getting medical help can actually improve sexual relations.

Links between heart disease and erectile dysfunction

Depression, anxiety and panic attacks can tie into both ED and heart disease. Restless or nervous feelings can contribute to erectile dysfunction and if you already know you have heart disease, the fear of having a heart attack during an intimate act could be putting a damper in the bedroom. Atherosclerosis is a condition where your arteries thicken and harden, causing a reduction of blood flow to your heart as well as other areas of the body like the penis. Because of restricted blood flow, it can be hard to maintain an erection. Some medications used for heart disease can cause ED whereas some ED medications may not be for people with heart conditions.

There are other risk factors that tie both ED and heart disease together. If you have one or more of them, it is important that you get the proper medical tests to check for damage or impairments. Smoking, diabetes, being overweight, hypertension and having high cholesterol are all factors.

Atherosclerosis is perhaps the number one issue that ties in heart disease risk and erectile dysfunction. An accumulation of plaque along the arterial walls can hinder the blood flow to your brain, legs and heart and of course, the penis. Where once the arteries were flexible, they are now stiff and narrow due to the plaque; so for this reason blood flow is not as fluid, thus contributing to ED.

If you have already been diagnosed with heart disease, you are likely taking medications for it. The drawback to these medications is that they can contribute to erectile dysfunction. On the other side of the equation, if you are taking ED medications, they could affect your heart disease negatively.

All in all, the link between erectile dysfunction and heart disease is very strong, on many fronts ? from pre-existing conditions like diabetes to medications. Therefore, if you have ED, do not hesitate to go to the doctor because it could a mere side effect to a larger problem ? heart disease.