Sudden Erectile dysfunction is also known as Situational Erectile dysfunction which is generally short-term in nature. It’s an inability to get and keep an erection that is caused by temporary factors and is unlikely to persist unless the offending behaviors become routine. This is a type of erectile dysfunction that occurs when certain situations can bring about erection problems.
According to The National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that up to 30 million men in the United States suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction. For most of us, ED is considered to be a long-term disorder, which requires medication to treat its symptoms.
Situational Erectile dysfunction is considered to be short-term. Like long-term ED, short-term ED is the inability to get or maintain an erection with the difference being only in certain situations. Many men tend to panic and begin to think that there may be something wrong with their bodies. It’s important to find out if these symptoms are situational, or if you need to take action and reach out to a medical provider to help you get your sex life back on track.
Diagnosing Situational ED
Most of these causes are lifestyle choices. Excessive consumption of alcohol and nicotine can cause situational ED, but used in moderation they generally don’t lead to it.
Causes of Situational Erectile Dysfunction
There are many causes of situational erectile dysfunction and this type of dysfunction is most common in young guys who are more curious and have lots of anxiety about their first-time encounters.
The factors that can cause Situational Erectile Dysfunction are
STRESS
Stress is one of the leading causes of short-term ED. It’s possible for you to become so stressed out in your life that even getting an erection is a problem. After one bout of stress-induced situational ED, it is very possible for one to continuously stress themselves out just trying to achieve an erection. It’s important to consult with an erectile dysfunction doctor to break this cycle.
Other stressors that can lead to this problem include relationship problems, job troubles, or financial hardships.
Alcohol & Drugs
Alcohol and drugs are two of the biggest reasons for short-term ED in younger men. Even though alcohol may calm the nerves, too much of it can have a negative impact on your sexual interactions.
As a depressant, it’s no surprise that alcohol has influenced your nerve impulse. This means that the signals sent between your brain and body essentially become scrambled. This results in poor reflexes, slurred speech, and with enough alcohol, little to no sexual performance.
Fatigue
This can be a real problem for people that opt to have sex in the evening. Often, we don’t realize the strain and exhaustion that comes from balancing hectic work schedules and personal lives.
Being tired or fatigued can greatly decrease your sex drive and ability to perform. If erectile dysfunction is only an issue during periods of extreme fatigue it may be that with some decent sleep and relaxation, you may be able to overcome this short-term problem on your own.
Medications
Medications for blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and prostate cancer are known to cause Erectile Dysfunction.
Habits
Consumption of alcohol and recreational drugs like marijuana, ecstasy, etc. along with smoking cigarettes is something that definitely contributes to the onset of ED in young men. College going men are especially susceptible to being exposed and pressurized to trying out these, which is more than likely to lead to long term addictions.
Condom Problems
Unfamiliarity with how to use a condom, or having to interrupt the flow of sex to put on a condom, can cause an erection deflation and temporary erectile dysfunction, especially for younger men. “For older men, condoms can be a cause of erectile dysfunction because they cut down on the stimulation needed to maintain an erection, or to achieve orgasm”.
Porn and Masturbutation
Certainly, this is a newer condition. This is seen more frequently in younger men in the past couple of years. With the prevalence and availability of pornography now it is not surprising. It tends to manifest as a sort of tolerance to sexual stimulation, typically visual. But it can be more serious, meaning despite arousal the patient will not be able to achieve the same quality of erection as previously. This is not the case in every instance and by no means does pornography cause this in all patients, but it certainly is possible and appears to be more and more common.
Relationship
A relationship won’t be the same all the time and it changes over time. You and Your partner need to be interested in having sex. Any trouble in your relationship might be the reason for Erectile Dysfunction.
Treating Situational ED
The best way to treat ED is to treat the cause of the condition and Doctors generally will not treat situational ED with medications such as Viagra or Cialis, oral ED drugs that are the treatment of choice for long-term ED.
Avoiding or reducing some of the causative behaviors listed above can lead to better sexual health. Limiting alcohol to two drinks a day and quitting smoking altogether will go a long way.
Talking to your partner openly and honestly about the situation will lead eventually to achieving better erections. While difficult at first, intimacy can relieve performance anxiety.
Putting your chips on the table and talking through what’s causing your situational ED will help relieve stress and have you looking forward to your next sexual experience, not worrying about what may or may not happen.
Conclusion
Even though situational ED is nothing to worry about, if this problem is continuous, you should consider consulting an erectile dysfunction doctor. The inability to maintain or get an erection is something that happens with age and that has several paths to recovery.
Many men are reluctant to discuss erectile dysfunction with their doctors. But don’t let embarrassment keep you from getting help. Just taking this step will get them on their way to recover not only their sex life but their relationship as well. They need not worry about their privacy as clinics like “The ED Clinic” take full care to make sure all privacy details are just that- Private.