Erectile dysfunction may be a sign of serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Difficulty getting or staying erect, also known as impotence, is "very common, particularly in men over 40", according to the NHS. It affects most men at some point, and the health service said it's usually nothing to about, often being caused by stress, tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol. But you are advised to visit a GP if it keeps happening as it could be a sign of physical health or emotional problems.
One in ten people with erectile dysfunction have a "purely psychological problem", often called 'performance anxiety', according to the British Association of Urological Surgeons. The other 90% have underlying physical causes, with 40% of those having cardiovascular disease, and a third having diabetes. Impotence can be one of the first warning signs of conditions like atherosclerosis, which is when the arteries thicken, harden and grow more narrow, increasing your risk of heart attack. This condition can affect erections by reducing the flow of blood through arteries into the penis, which is necessary for it to swell.
