• High blood pressure and high cholesterol can injure the arteries that supply blood to the penis.
• Diabetes injures blood vessels and the nerves that control erections.
• Alcohol and drug abuse can cause erectile dysfunction by damaging blood vessels and deadening the nerves that control erections.
• Some prescription drugs such as some antidepressants or some high blood pressure medicines can cause erectile dysfunction. Your doctor may be able to change your drug treatment. Never stop taking a prescribed drug without talking to your doctor.
• Unhealthy habits like smoking, overeating, and avoiding exercise can also contribute to erectile dysfunction.
• Anything that's bad for your heart is also bad for your sexual health.
• An injury to the spinal cord can cause erectile dysfunction by interfering with nerve signals.
• Treatments for prostate cancer, including radiation and prostate removal, can damage the nerves that control erections.
• Diseases that affect the nerves, like multiple sclerosis, can also lead to erection problems.
• A small number of ED cases result from a reduced level of the male hormone testosterone.
• Doctors used to believe that most cases of erectile dysfunction resulted from mental or emotional problems. We now know that most ED has a physical cause. But depression and worry or anxiety can still cause ED. And ED from physical causes can lead to depression and worry, making physical erectile dysfunction worse.
• A person should not assume that erectile dysfunction is part of the normal process of aging. There is quite likely an underlying cause.

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