As men get older, the chances of suffering from erection problems increases. By the time they reach the age of 70 between 60 to 70% of men will be having difficulties achieving or maintaining an erection.

Just a few years ago it was assumed that most cases of impotence in younger men had a psychological cause. This view has now changed. Most impotence problems, whatever your age, are usually due to underlying medical conditions that may or may not have been diagnosed. Your penis is a good indicator of your general health and for this reason difficulties with erections shouldn't be ignored or dismissed as a sign of aging.

As a good blood supply to the penis is essential for an erection it's no surprise that medical conditions like atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) are often behind poor penile performance. For this reason men with erectile difficulties are at much higher risk from having a heart attack or a stroke.

Probably the easiest way to develop erection difficulties is to smoke. This is because smoking is such a good way to damage your arteries which then cause erections to fail. Diseases that cause nerve damage can also cause impotence.

Medical conditions that are known to sometimes cause erectile dysfunction include -

Diabetes

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Thyroid disease

Renal failure

Severe liver disease

Often erection failures are one of the first indications that something is going wrong. Unfortunately men are notoriously bad at seeking medical help. They are even more unlikely to go to their doctor when the subject is one of poor sexual performance. In the UK studies have suggested that only a mere 10% of men will visit their doctor if they are having problems with their erections. Only after more serious symptoms have started to appear is medical help sought. By this time long term damage may have occurred.

If your erection problems have appeared very suddenly then they may be of psychological origin. However, if the problem has appeared over a period of time then the cause is most likely medical. If you then reach for the little blue pills without knowing what's really the matter you could make the situation a lot worse.

Don't let embarrassment about seeing your doctor put your long term health or even your life at risk. You will be asked intimate questions about your sex life and performance but doctors have heard it all before and to them erectile dysfunction is simply a symptom not a reflection on your manhood.