Can Diabetes Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Blog Outline

Having been asking questions along the lines of: Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction, then perhaps you might be in need of therapy and treatment that promptly leads to riddance of the said problem. Before we get into all that, first we need to understand the relation between diabetes and erectile dysfunction and the both of them separately.

Defining Diabetes

It is important to understand diabetes first, so we can answer questions like, “Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?” Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic condition that leads to excessively high insulin levels that in turn lead to unusually high blood sugar. This usually happens due to the pancreas of the affected individuals not making enough insulin or the other parts of their body not absorbing the secreted insulin properly, affecting the proper circulation of blood itself in the process. About 1 in 10 individuals in America are affected with diabetes.

There are different types of diabetes in existence including gestational (pregnancy-related), prediabetes (onset that can be prevented), and type 2 diabetes (believed to be an autoimmune reaction that develops early in life), but mostly type 1 diabetes is the one with the most symptoms associated with it:

  • Feeling more thirsty than usual.
  • Bladder problem.
  • Excessive weight loss.
  • The presence of ketones in the urine that are byproducts of.
  • Fatigue.
  • Mood changes and irritability.
  • Blurred vision.
  • Sores that do not heal.
  • Excessive infections.

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Defining Erectile Dysfunction

Another term that should be understood to understand the topic of “Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?” or to answer questions like “Why does diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?”, or

“How does diabetes affect erectile dysfunction?” It is erectile dysfunction, which is also often called impotence. ED is essentially having difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection, even when a sexual stimulus is present in front of the affected individual.

Erectile function can present itself due to a range of causes, predominantly them being psychosomatic and physical. But it can come into existence as a symptom of diabetes too. Let’s find out why that is the case.

The Link Between Diabetes And Erectile Dysfunction

While diabetes and erectile dysfunction (ED) are two separate conditions, they tend to go hand-in-hand due to this single reason: The connection between diabetes and ED is related to your circulation and nervous system as diabetes affects the normal circulation of blood in the body.

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So, does diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?

Once your body is unable to control its insulin levels properly, it can make the blood vessels and related nerves shrink to such a level that sexual response is affected. This is because the poorly regulated insulin levels essentially damage the blood vessels and nerves so much that they actually shrink as a result because high blood glucose levels cause fatty deposits to form inside blood vessels making them narrower and harder. They are therefore unable to accommodate the normal blood flow. Due to this, the body is unable to control the proper blood flow to the different parts of the body including but not limited to the sexual mechanism in the groin area, where sexual response is initiated. This is how diabetes affects erectile dysfunction in your body and hopefully is a comprehensive answer to your question: Will diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?

How Diabetes Affects Erectile Dysfunction By Exacerbating Symptoms?

To get to the depth of the question, “Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?”, You also need to know about the risks that can essentially exacerbate it. The risk factors that can increase your chance of diabetes complications, including ED are listed below. You may be more at risk of exacerbating ED if you have:

  • Poor management of blood sugar
  • Excessive stress and anxiety
  • Clinical depression
  • Having a poor diet
  • Aren’t active and do not exercise often
  • Obesity
  • Smoking and vaping
  • Alcohol Dependency
  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • Abnormal blood lipid profile
  • Taking medication that lists the condition as a side effect
  • Low testosterone levels
  • Prescription drugs for other conditions

READ MORE: Hormone Replacement Therapy and Weight Loss: What’s The Connection?

How Is Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosed?

You may notice a change in, or the frequency of your erections, especially in the proximity of time in the recent diagnosis of your diabetes. You may consult with a urologist, who will have a look at your medical history and will also assess your symptoms. The urologist will likely conduct a physical exam too to ensure that diagnosis is done properly.

Preventing Diabetes Erectile Dysfunction

Before we talk about diabetes ED treatment, we should know how it should be prevented. Prevention is always better than finding a cure. It should be your strategy instead of finding answers to the questions like, “Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction.” These are some of the most effective ways diabetes ED can be prevented:

Improving Your Sleep Cycles

Having a good sleep routine ensures that your blood sugar levels do not rise and therefore your sexual arousal is not affected in the process

Having An Active Lifestyle

Exercising and generally having an active lifestyle can help control your blood sugar levels, improve circulation, lower stress and anxiety levels, and overall improve your energy levels, all of which improve sexual arousal activity, which in turn, rids the affected individual of erectile dysfunction.

Improved Diet

When it comes to a question like, “Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?”, then there is nothing more harmful than a bad diet, which contributes to erectile dysfunction because bad food leads to extremely high blood sugar levels, which in turn causes an extremely bad form of erectile dysfunction because they damage the blood vessels and related nerves to the brink of their existence.

Getting Rid of Bad Habits Like Alcohol Consumption and Smoking

Alcohol and cigarette smoking, both are associated with hardening and making blood vessels narrower, which does bode well for either condition, diabetes and erectile dysfunction.

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Being Aware of Hormonal or Testosterone Therapy

Hormonal and testosterone occasionally can be an answer to the question, “Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction?” as the hormonal fluctuation can temporarily cause ED. Consult with a professional to know more about this.

Treating Diabetes And Erectile Dysfunction

For diabetes ED, an oral medication, such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), or vardenafil (Levitra) is recommended. These prescription medications help improve blood flow to the penis but it is always to manage and monitor diabetes itself via a range of preventative measures such as the ones described above. For ED, one can look for treatments such as Erectile Dysfunction Treatment, that directly tries to treat the root cause of erectile dysfunction. If the root cause is hormonal fluctuations, then treatments such as Testosterone Replacement Therapy or Hormone Replacement Therapy can also be used.

Conclusion

Can diabetes cause erectile dysfunction? Well, now you have the answer to that. If you have decided to go for treatment like erectile dysfunction treatment then look no further than Revive Men’s Health Wellness Center and book an appointment today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Oral phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, which also goes by the name of Viagra.

Yes. It affects the proper blood circulation to the penis, which can lead to ED.

Doing things like exercising, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and improving your sleep.

Reference and Footnotes
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