How Hypertension Leads To Erectile Dysfunction

Hypertension or High Blood Pressure is a major cause of erectile dysfunction. Hypertension can put patients at a higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Healthy erections are possible when your blood flows naturally. Natural arousal causes increased blood flow to the penis, resulting in an erection. Because of hypertension, the process of erection becomes more complicated. The arteries carrying blood contract, slowing the usual flow of blood. Thus, hypertension not only increases your risk of having a stroke or heart attack, but it also makes erections more difficult. Men with high blood pressure suffer more with erectile dysfunction in comparison to men with normal blood pressure. 

Why Hypertension Is A Secret Killer?

There are a number of factors that can cause hypertension, including medical disorders such as renal disease and lifestyle decisions such as smoking or eating a high-sodium diet. There are also some people who develop high blood pressure for no apparent reason.

Hypertension can cause sudden heart attack and stroke. As the illness has no visible signs, clinicians refer to it as “the silent killer”.

Also read: Everything You Need To Know About Portal Hypertension

Link Between Hypertension And Erectile Dysfunction

Untreated chronic high blood pressure harms your heart and blood vessels, eventually leading to life-threatening medical disorders. Signals from the brain travel through the nerves to the penis, causing the smooth muscle of the chambers to relax and the arteries to dilate, or open wider. This causes a surge of blood to fill the voids. Blood pressure causes the sheath of tissue surrounding the chambers to press on the veins that typically drain blood from the penis. In this way the blood enters, penis stiffens, resulting in an erection.

Hypertension destroys your blood vessels and arteries, rendering the arteries that feed blood to your penis unable to function normally. This also has an effect on the penile muscle, causing it to be unable to relax. As a result, your penis does not receive enough blood to become or remain erect. Furthermore, if you have hypertension, your chances of having low testosterone are nearly twice as great. While the link between hypertension and low testosterone is still being studied, low testosterone can contribute to erectile dysfunction and decreased libido.

Tips To Manage Erectile Dysfunction Caused By Hypertension

Keeping your blood pressure under control is vital for your overall health. It is important to take steps to lower your blood pressure, both through lifestyle modifications. You can also resort to medications, but only if your doctor recommends. Unfortunately, many blood pressure drugs can exacerbate erectile dysfunction because they affect blood flow. You can abide by following tips to manage hypertension:

• Regular workout and healthy eating
• Incorporate low fat dairy products
• Limit sodium in your daily diet
• Try to lose weight because being overweight can increase the chances of erectile dysfunction
• Quit smoking if you smoke on a regular basis

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