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Erections FAQs
Getting it up shouldn't get you down. Here's everything you need to know about erections. Straight up.
What causes an erection?
Well, whatever turns you on basically but the science is this: erections occur when the small muscles in your penis, which are usually tightly contracted, relax and let blood start flowing in. The spongy tissue in the penis fills with blood and expands, pushing against the veins and closing them so the blood cannot drain out again. Well, you did ask.
Why can't I get an erection?
There are two things that men complain about in the erection department — not getting one when you want one and getting one when you don't want one.
Not getting an erection when you want one is usually called erectile dysfunction (ED) or sometimes impotence. ED is a better description because the problem can usually be solved. In fact, nearly all men suffer from ED from time to time. The official estimate is that impotence affects about one in ten men at any one time. (Incidence increases from about one in 13 in men under 30 to one in two in men over 70.) But some surveys have put it as high as one in four.
It's no big deal. It's one of the things about being a flesh and blood human rather than a robot. Blokes who expect their penises to work like machines have not learned that yet. Don't worry about it but don't ignore it either. If it keeps happening, see a doctor.
Why see a doctor about a bit of brewer's droop?
Simply because ED can be an early warning of some serious health problems including:
- heart disease;
- narrow arteries;
- high blood pressure;
- diabetes;
- Peyronie's Disease;
- multiple sclerosis;
- an injury to the pelvis or spinal cord;
- heavy drinking or smoking;
- drugs - either the side effects of prescribed drugs (for example, some antidepressants and drugs for hypertension) or the abuse of non-prescribed drugs.
Low testosterone levels are rarely the cause of ED.
Research suggests that men don't seek help with ED because they don't think it can be treated. This is not true. There are many causes of ED, some physical, some psychological.
There is usually a physical cause for ED — it is only purely psychological in about 25% cases - but whatever the cause worrying about sexual performance can make it worse. Anxiety contracts the muscles preventing blood entering the penis.
If you get erections at night or when masturbating but have problems with your partner, it's almost certainly not a physical problem so just relax. Chances are you'll live to at least 80 so there's plenty of time.
And, as usual, smoking is a no-no. Nicotine interferes with the flow of blood to the penis making an erection less likely. Smokers are 50-80% more likely to become impotent than non-smokers.
I've got an erection all the time.
Getting erections all the time may not sound like a problem but it can be. It even has a name: priaprism. Young men can get sexually excited very easily so have a lot of erections. This can be embarrassing but it's not a problem and when you're older you'll probably remember the days fondly.
However, if your penis becomes hard for long periods or when you're not sexually excited you may have a condition called priapism. The condition is painful, and requires prompt treatment to avoid the risk of permanent damage to the penis and ED in the future. (As a guide, any man whose erection continues for four hours or more, should see a doctor.)
Have a look at our My erection won't go down FAQ page.
Where can I find out more about drugs like Cialis and Viagra that help you get an erection?
That's easy. We've a section on this site. But as all drugs can be dangerous and have side-effects, don't self-prescribe, talk to your doctor first. Read our section on erectile dysfunction first.
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MAIN IMAGE: Lego Space - Set 462 Mobile Rocket Launcher by InSapphoWeTrust licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Date published
02/04/14
Date of last review
02/04/14
Date of next review
02/04/17
References
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The Men’s Health Forum need your support It’s tough for men to ask for help but if you don’t ask when you need it, things generally only get worse. So we’re asking. In the UK, one man in five dies before the age of 65. If we had health policies and services that better reflected the needs of the whole population, it might not be like that. But it is. Policies and services and indeed men have been like this for a long time and they don’t change overnight just because we want them to. It’s true that the UK’s men don’t have it bad compared to some other groups. We’re not asking you to ‘feel sorry’ for men or put them first. We’re talking here about something more complicated, something that falls outside the traditional charity fund-raising model of ‘doing something for those less fortunate than ourselves’. That model raises money but it seldom changes much. We’re talking about changing the way we look at the world. There is nothing inevitable about premature male death. Services accessible to all, a population better informed. These would benefit everyone - rich and poor, young and old, male and female - and that’s what we’re campaigning for. We’re not asking you to look at images of pity, we’re just asking you to look around at the society you live in, at the men you know and at the families with sons, fathers and grandads missing. Here’s our fund-raising page - please chip in if you can.
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