Erectile dysfunction refers to a group of disorders.
But the most commonly used explanation of erectile dysfunction is the inability of a man to achieve or sustain his erection effectively for his sexual desire or during sexual intercourse.
Most men usually experience erection problems at some time in their lives.
But it is more commonly experienced by the older guys - aged 40 and above.
For some men, erectile dysfunction has totally destroyed their sex life.
This situation is called chronic or complete ED (impotence).
The moment a man begins to have troubles "getting his penis up" during sex, depression and anxiety sets in.
It is clear that this condition can cause relationship problems most especially when the man keeps hiding the fact that he has a problem from his partner.
Although erectile dysfunction can be caused by many factors, most of them are treatable.
In the year 2002, the National Institutes of Health in the U.
S.
A found out that an estimated 15 million to 30 million guys in the U.
S.
A are struggling with chronic ED.
And in 1999 the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) revealed that for every 1000 men that went to see their doctor, 22 men went to seek medical help for their erectile dysfunction problem.
As you get older, the risk of experiencing ED increases.
Chronic Ed occurs in about 5% of guys in their 40s while 15 - 25% of men in their 60s have to contend with the disorder.
Loss of erections during sexual intercourse which is medically known as transient ED occurs in as much as 50% of men that are aged between 40 and 70.
But one thing is certain about chronic ED, diseases are the main cause of as many as 70% of the chronic ED diagnosed by doctors.
While depression, stress and anxiety are psychological factors that account for between 10-20% of chronic ED cases.
When we discuss erectile problems, we usually talk about premature ejaculation.
But the two are totally different, premature ejaculation is the inability of a man to control his ejaculations to the point where it becomes frustrating to both him and his partner.
Although in some cases premature ejaculation may follow alongside erection problems but it is treated and handled differently from ED.