Impotency is a serious condition that affects men. It is the inability to get an erection or maintain one strong enough to have sex. If it is a long-term problem, impotency goes by the name erectile dysfunction. In general, impotency is when you have erection problems at least 25 percent of the time. If you have a temporary problem that goes away without treatment, then it is not considered impotency.
Physical or Psychological
The cause of impotency may be a physical problem or a psychological issue. To determine which category your problem falls under, you can test to see if you have night time erections. While sleeping, a man usually has three to five erections, each erection lasting around 30 minutes. Before going to sleep, put a ring of paper around your penis. If the paper rips while you were asleep, the cause of your impotency is psychological. If it does not rip, then the issue is physical. Once you know if your impotency is physical or psychological, it will be easier to get treatment.
Conditions
A number of physical conditions can cause impotency. Nerve damage, such as from a spinal cord injury or a prostate surgery, can prevent an erection. Poor blood flow can also restrict your ability to have an erection. Other conditions include neurological disorders, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions and thyroid conditions. Physical conditions may require medications to overcome the problem. Psychological conditions, like depression and anxiety, can also result in erectile dysfunction.
Substances
Both prescription medications and recreational drugs can cause impotency. While antidepressant medication does have impotency as a side effect, it is hard to isolate the medication as a cause since depression and anxiety can also cause impotency. High blood pressure medication can have impotency as a potential side effect as well. In addition, use of nicotine, alcohol and cocaine can also cause impotency, though discontinuing use may alleviate the problem.
