Americans are no strangers to high blood pressure — nearly half of adults have some degree of hypertension. Now combine that with the fact that 52% of men struggle with erectile dysfunction (ED) at some point during their lives. Coincidence? We think not.
At Lafferty Family Care, Dr. Scott Lafferty and our team routinely address both issues — hypertension and ED — and we’re all too familiar with the connection between the two. In the following, we explore this connection and how we can remedy both problems at the same time.
From the outside, an erection may seem simple enough, but the process is anything but simple, as it involves a number of factors, including your:
While we can expand on any one of these issues and how they can lead to problems with ED, our focus here is on the last thing on this list — your cardiovascular health.
In order to achieve an erection, when your brain is aroused, it sends signals that relax the muscles in your penis to allow blood to flow in, which is what creates an erection. To maintain your erection, a membrane called the tunica albuginea contracts to hold the blood in place.
As you can see, proper blood flow plays no small role in your ability to get and maintain an erection.
Hypertension is a condition in which the force of the blood against your blood vessel walls is too high, which can weaken your blood vessels over time.
While there are many serious complications that can develop from high blood pressure, such as a heart attack, hypertension can greatly influence your ability to achieve and maintain an erection.
If your blood flow is hampered in any way due to plaque buildup, which is one of the leading causes of hypertension, it can limit the amount of blood that flows to your penis.
One of the quandaries when it comes to treating both hypertension and ED is that the medications we typically use to bring your blood pressure numbers down may result in sexual dysfunction. For example, if you’re on diuretics, these medications may decrease how forcefully blood flows into the penis, which can impede your ability to get an erection.
Depending upon the severity of your high blood pressure, you may need these medications, and we can address your ED separately through treatments such as:
If your hypertension is borderline, lifestyle changes can go a long way toward remedying both issues. For example, losing weight and exercising are two of the most effective techniques for lowering your blood pressure, which should take care of your ED.
Rest assured, if you’re struggling with both ED and high blood pressure, we offer a wide range of solutions that address both your cardiovascular health and your sexual health, giving you the best of both worlds.
If you suspect that your high blood pressure is leading to ED, contact our office in Bentonville, Arkansas, so that we can address both of these important areas of your health.
