Smoking habits contribute to erectile dysfunction in men. It causes damage to the blood vessels of the penile and affects the erection function. Not only does it lead to impotence problems, but also fertility issues, testosterone depletion, and loss of libido. It adversely impacts an individual’s sexual desire and thereby affects their sexual performance. Read on to understand why you need to give up smoking now itself.
How is erectile dysfunction caused?
Erectile dysfunction or impotence is a condition that does not have an independent cause. It is a symptom of some underlying illness or chronic health conditions that can cause damage to the vascular system and hinders the circulation around the reproductive organs. When the penile blood vessels don’t get enough blood supply, they tend to become narrow and hard due to plaque formation in the passages. Men with impotence find it difficult to get erections even after attaining complete sexual arousal. Even if they get erections their ability to sustain them might get weakened.
How smoking contributes to erectile dysfunction?
Many studies claim that men who smoke regularly are at a higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction than those who don’t. The harmful substances present in tobacco enter your lungs and from there, it travels to your entire body through the circulatory system. These substances are hazardous chemicals such as cyanide, carbon monoxide, nicotine, etc. that damage your cardiovascular function which potentiates impotence issues.
Smoking depletes the nitric oxide (NO) in the wall of the blood vessels which majorly affects their function. Nitric oxide is an essential component that is needed by the blood vessels for their healthy function. NO is responsible for conducting vasodilation and expansion of the blood vessels which allows more blood to pass through them easily.
Why do you need to avoid smoking?
When an individual gets sexually aroused, they experience a surge of blood flow to their penile blood vessels which leads to an erect penile. This happens due to the expansion of the blood vessels by the release of nitric oxide by their walls. The role of nitric oxide is to stimulate the function of cGMP molecules that conducts vasodilation but when an individual smokes regularly, the harmful substance in the smoke decreases the release of nitric oxide.
The primary substance within cigarettes is nicotine which is the main culprit. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor that narrows the blood vessels and turns them hard, which restricts the blood flow throughout the blood vessel passages. Restriction occurs as a result of plaque formation in the passages of the penile blood vessels. This plaque buildup clogs the arteries and causes them to become narrow. Thus, it causes blockages in the blood vessels which impacts the vascular system throughout the body.
Here are some other ways in which smoking affects your sexual health:
Infertility
Smokers are highly likely to experience issues with fertility compared to nonsmokers. The chemicals in smoke have a damaging effect on your reproductive organs. It affects the ability to conceive as it alters the DNA of the sperm in males and the ovum in females. Chainsmokers lose their ability to conceive very early on. Men might experience decreased sperm volume, poor sperm motility, and issues with sperm count. Whereas women are at greater risk of experiencing the symptoms of early menopause. Therefore, if you want to improve the quality and health of your sperm and ovum so that you can reproduce, you must stop smoking.
Loss of libido
Compounds in smoke tend to interfere with your sex hormones. In males, the primary sex hormone is testosterone, which gets majorly affected due to smoking. The levels of testosterone start declining which weakens their sex drive and they may find it difficult to get sexually aroused.
Decrease in stamina
Smoking releases toxic compounds in your bloodstream. It degrades the quality of oxygen in your blood. It impacts your heart function majorly. Moreover, It gradually harms every organ in your body. The lack of adequate amounts of fresh oxygen contributes to the development of chronic health conditions which takes down your quality of life and mental peace.
ED Medications
Although some medications like Fildena can serve as one of the best treatments for erectile dysfunction, quitting smoking is worthwhile. These medications are made using an active ingredient that conducts vasodilation and restores the erection function. Its effects last for a few hours.
So, you may wonder what the best course of action for improving erection function is, which is none other than giving up smoking. It sounds very easy but is one of the toughest things for regular smokers. But given its deteriorating effects on one’s health, it should rather be avoided. It is necessary to acknowledge the fact that it does not lead to impotence issues directly, instead, it affects cardiovascular function, potentiates the risk of heart diseases, causes vascular dysfunction, and ultimately gives rise to erection problems.
Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking is not easy, as it offers short-term delight. Its addictive properties in cigarettes can make it extremely hard for an individual to keep their hands away from them. One needs to follow a perfect strategy for quitting smoking. A quit-smoking plan will be extremely helpful in eliminating the health risks due to smoking. One needs to strictly stick to the plan and keep themselves reminded of the harmful effects of smoking.
