Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence) & DiabetesErectile dysfunction is estimated to affect between 35-75% of men with diabetes to some degree, also called impotence, during their lifetime. Because diabetes causes nerve damage including burning foot syndrome, loss of feeling, loss of muscle control, pain and tingling and impotence. 
Men who are impotent from diabetes are often depressed as well. Impotence caused by diabetes can be prevented in almost all men whose bodies can still make its own insulin.Men with diabetes also usually tend to develop ED ten to fifteen years earlier than men without diabetes. As men with diabetes age, erectile dysfunction becomes more common. Above the age of fifty approximately 50-60% of men with diabetes have ED. Men who are above the age of seventy have about a 95% likelihood of having difficulty with ED. The penis is the only gland in the body that can shut off its blood supply, except for nourishment. Muscles surrounding the penile artery constrict the artery to prevent blood from flowing to the penis. When a man gets excited his brain releases a chemical that relaxes the muscles around the arteries to open blood flow to the penis and the penis becomes erect. The causes of ED in men with diabetes are complex and involve impairments in nerve, blood vessel and muscle function. Men with diabetes who have trouble achieving and/or maintaining an erection can take oral medications that can help. However, because people with diabetes also tend to have problems with their heart, these medications may not be appropriate and cause dangerous interactions with your heart medicine. To determine the best possible way to solve the problem have your doctor refer you to a specialist, an urologist, to work with you and determine the best treatment plan for your specific situation. Return to Top of Erectile Dysfunction
|
