Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction (ED), has become quite common these days, especially among young male. Although it can be caused by a number of psychological and physical factors, cigarette smoking is surely one of them. It’s no surprise that smoking causes blood vessels to damage, and thus, ED is most commonly a result of poor arterial blood supply to the penis. However, the good news is, if you quit smoking, your sexual and vascular health and performance are likely to get better.

Smoking and Blood Vessels

I’m sure you are aware of the health risks that smoking does cause. Smoking cigarettes can harm almost every part of your body. It’s just that the chemicals in cigarettes injure the lining of your blood vessels that affect the way your body functions. These chemicals damage your brain, heart, kidneys, and other tissues throughout the body.

What affects your erectile health is the chemicals in cigarettes that eventually effects on the blood vessels in the penis. Erection normally results when your arteries in the penis expand, fill with blood and your brain receives signals from the nerves in the penis. Even when your nervous system is functioning well, an erection might still not be physically possible. This is due to the blood vessels that have become unhealthy due to smoking.

What Does Research Say?

ED becomes more common with older men, but it may also develop at any adult age. In 2005, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology states that men who smoke are more likely to get ED than those who never did. However, ED in younger men is more likely to take place because of cigarette smoking.

Well, if you are a chain-smoker, research implies that the odds of developing ED are higher. But if you quit smoking, your ED symptoms are likely to improve. Your age, the significance of your ED before you quit smoking and some other major health issues could reduce the degree that healthy erectile function can return.

Other causes of Impotence:

There might be several other causes of impotence, which includes:

• A deficiency in hormones or testosterone.
• Damage to the nerves that signal from the body’s central nervous system to the penis.
• In some cases, some medications might be causing impotence, so can some types of radiotherapy treatments and surgeries.

Getting Help

It’s best for you to deal with ED. The sooner the better. If you do not have any primary care doctor, you can make an appointment with a men’s healthcare specialist or a urologist. ED is nothing common; it’s very common among men. You may, however, be advised about one of the things that you need to do: quit smoking.

If you have tried to stop yourself from smoking but have been unsuccessful, don’t go on to thinking that it’s going to be impossible. Take another new approach this time. According to The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, here are some following steps that will help you quit smoking:

• Create a list stating the reasons as to why you want to quit smoking and why your previous attempts were not successful.
• Pay attention to some of your smoking triggers like drinking alcohol or while drinking coffee/tea.
• Get help from your loved ones. It’s fine to admit that you need some help in getting over with such a powerful addiction like cigarette smoking.
• Talk to your physician about prescription and some of the over-the-counter medications that are specifically designed to help you with quitting. If a medication seems to work, follow the instructions.
• Find some other activities that could be an alternative to smoking and will distract you from the craving of cigarettes. Exercise, cycling or hobbies that occupy your hands and mind are always useful.
• You will still get cravings and setbacks. However, just because you will still slip up and hold a cigarette, doesn’t mean you have lost track and become unsuccessful.