Definition and Causes of Impotency

One aspect of treating impotency involves knowing and understanding what it means to be impotent. This article will define this concept for you in hopes to better explain it. You also will learn of the causes of this problem.

Impotency Explained

Impotence is the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection, either to satisfy himself or to satisfy his partner-or both. This concept also refers to the inability of a man to achieve ejaculation, or of the inability of a man to have a hard enough erection for sexual intercourse. 

This condition can also be regarded as the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual pleasure. Usually a man is impotent if he cannot get or maintain an erection the majority of the times he tries within approximately a 3 or 6 month period.

Impotency could also be described as taking an extremely long time to achieve an erection. It also may be the inability or difficulty to achieve an orgasm during sex. This condition encompasses all about erectile dysfunction as well as low libido and lack of enjoyment during sex combined.

Causes

One of the main physical causes would be failure of the body to circulate blood all the way to the end of the penis. Other primary physical causes include the following:

  1. Hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes
  2. Arteriosclerosis, prostate cancer surgery
  3. Multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease
  4. Certain medications (i.e. ulcer medications, hypertension beta blockers, and diuretics)
  5. Neurological (nerve) diseases and endocrine complications

Additional causes of impotency include as follows:

  1. Smoking
  2. Alcoholism
  3. Illegal drug use (heroine, marijuana, cocaine, etc.)
  4. Prescription drug use (abuse of antidepressants, Viagra, and other drugs)

Psychological problems can also cause impotency. For instance, if a man is severely depressed or anxious most of the time that can be a problem. If he just suffered a loss of a spouse or family member that can possibly make him impotent at least temporarily.

Some of the fears that a man has may be directly related to past sexual failures. His anxieties of past experiences where he was able to not perform sexually could actually be stopping him from being able now.

In some cases, the anxiety that causes impotence could have been the result of a traumatic experience. Men also can be raped and sexually abused-or abused in some other way-and this can cause impotency.