Why Do Mens Erections Suddenly Become Soft?

Update Date: 2024-05-20 Source: Network

Erectile dysfunction may occur when a male becomes soft after a brief period of hardness. This condition can be attributed to various factors such as psychological and mental factors, vascular causes, neurological causes, surgery and trauma, endocrine disorders, chronic diseases, long-term use of certain medications, and diseases specific to the penis itself.

The causes of erectile dysfunction can be classified as follows:

1. Psychogenic ED refers to erectile dysfunction caused by psychological factors such as stress, depression, anxiety, and marital disharmony. These factors can include issues like poor marital communication, lack of sexual knowledge, negative sexual experiences, stress related to work, life, or finances, misinterpretation of media messages, and fear of disease or medication side effects leading to anxiety and depressive psychological barriers. Mental illnesses are also common causes of ED, with the severity of the mental illness symptoms correlating positively with the degree of functional impairment.

2. Organic ED:

(1) Vascular causes: Vascular disease is the primary cause of ED, accounting for nearly 50% of ED cases. This includes any condition that may reduce blood flow to the penile corpus cavernosum, such as atherosclerosis, arterial injury, arterial stenosis, pudendal artery shunt, and cardiac dysfunction. Additionally, venous leakage caused by decreased smooth muscle in the tunica albuginea and corpora cavernosa of the penis can interfere with venous return and contribute to ED. Almost all risk factors for hypertension, such as smoking, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, can increase the incidence of ED.

(2) Neurological causes: Central and peripheral nervous system diseases or injuries can lead to erectile dysfunction. Central causes include stroke, tumors, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord lesions, lumbar disc disease, multiple sclerosis, and multiple atrophy. Peripheral neuropathies such as diabetes, alcoholism, uremia, and multiple neuropathies can also contribute to ED.

(3) Surgical and traumatic causes: Major vascular surgery, pelvic or retroperitoneal surgery or trauma, such as radical prostatectomy, abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer, pelvic fractures, lumbar compression fractures, or straddle injuries, can damage the vessels and nerves involved in penile erection, leading to erectile dysfunction.

(4) Endocrine disorders, chronic diseases, and long-term use of certain medications: Conditions such as hypogonadism, thyroid disease, and acromegaly that lead to decreased blood testosterone levels or altered hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function, as well as medications like antihypertensive drugs (diuretics and beta-blockers), antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiandrogens, and antihistamines, can all contribute to erectile dysfunction.

(5) Diseases specific to the penis: Abnormalities in the anatomy or structure of the penis, such as Peyronie's disease, micropenis, penile curvature, severe phimosis, and balanitis, can also cause erectile dysfunction.