Allergies Arthritis Asthma Cholesterol Depression Diabetes Erectile Dys. To understand erectile dysfunction, it helps to learn more about the process of sexual arousal . The process of sexual arousal.
Sexual arousal begins in the brain .
Sexual thoughts trigger nerve impulses , which travel down to the penis. These nerve impulses relax the blood vessels of the penis and allow the heart to pump much more blood in. The rapid flow doesn't permit the blood flow to go back into the body, so the penis gets hard. Some causes of failure of the process can include not enough hormones , problems in the sexual relationship , interference by certain medications , some medical conditions like diabetes , health habits like smoking , or stress . If erectile dysfunction affects your life, talk with your doctor.