How does the trigger affect the quality of life of men?

Erectile dysfunction, also known as "trigger" in the colloquial language, is much more common than it might seem at first..

Despite this, it is very difficult to establish epidemiological figures, as many men do not seek help in the face of this condition and it is considered a taboo in the social sphere to ask about the sexual health of a person. Even with these difficulties, studies estimate that 52% of the male American population between 40 and 70 years old suffers from erectile dysfunction (ED).

We go further, since the same sources estimate that 30 to 50 million people are triggered by recurrent form in the US and more than 150 million men have erectile dysfunction in the world, such as minimum. With these data, we only want to show that the lack of "dexterity" in bed is something totally natural, much more than you can believe after having an anecdotal conversation between people of the genre male.

Furthermore, it should be noted that erectile dysfunction is a sign of a physical clinical entity in 80% of cases. We usually associate it with an emotional picture, but the reality is that it usually indicates a systemic or endocrine, such as diabetes, hypogonadism, side effects of certain drugs and hypertension. With these ideas in mind, we will tell you how the trigger affects the quality of life of men.

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What is a trigger and when is it a clinical entity?

Erectile dysfunction or trigger is a sexual dysfunction in which the penis does not remain erect (or does not erect in the first instance) before and during the act of intercourse. It is the most common sexual problem in men, and although its primary trigger is physical, it can have secondary effects on the emotional level. Gender roles and masculine dynamics do not help to normalize this condition either.

All men experience a lack of erection at some point in their life due to stress, anxiety, substance use and many other reasons, but erectile dysfunction (ED) is maintained over time, either sporadically (you can have relationships sometimes, but not always when you want), permanent or temporary, that is, the patient is able to maintain the erection for a while, but not until the sexual act is over.

Below, you can see the most common triggers of the trigger or erectile dysfunction:

• Up to 40% of ED patients have hypertension, while 35% of hypertensive have ED. If less blood reaches the corpus cavernosum of the penis, it does not erect.
• Hyperlipidemia occurs in 42% of men with ED. Elevated levels of lipids in the circulatory system also decrease blood flow to key areas, such as the penis.
• Up to 30% of adult men with undiagnosed type II diabetes have erectile dysfunction. Excess circulating glucose can damage vascular tissues, nerves, and sexual tissues, making an erection very difficult.
• Being obese increases the probability of having erectile dysfunction by 50%.
• People with depression are 40% more likely to have ED. Interestingly, the probability of developing depression associated with ED is 3 times higher than in the general population.

As you can see, most of the causes of erectile dysfunction are mostly organic; dysfunction is associated in a not inconsiderable percentage with depression (be this cause or trigger) and other psychological disorders, but it is almost always accompanied by diabetes, hypertension, hypogonadism and other conditions that affect the circulatory system.

• You may be interested in: "Do you really know what self-esteem is?"

Does this condition affect the quality of life of men?

Without a doubt, the recurrent trigger can be a serious problem for men. As we have seen previously, the probability of developing depression if there is erectile dysfunction is up to 3 times higher than in the general population.

According to studies such as "Psychological repercussions of erectile dysfunction on self-esteem and self-confidence", dysfunction can arise as a result of anxiety, stress and depression, but the inability to perform in the sexual act report to the patient lower levels of self-esteem and even more anxiety and stress. A vicious cycle is created, in which "I'm worth nothing" increases dysfunction, while dysfunction fosters the idea of ​​"I'm worth nothing."

This same study, after performing tests on 405 patients with erectile dysfunction, found that there was a clear correlation when quantifying the self-esteem of people with and without ED. In other words, it seems that men with erectile dysfunction tend to have a diminished self-image, at least compared to the general population. Interestingly, this trend was not observed when quantifying a self-confidence scale.

In any case, it should be remembered that up to 80% of sustained triggers are due to organic causes, while that 20% respond to emotional imbalances, such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders and other events psychiatric. Therefore, rather than talking about the effect of the trigger on the quality of life of men, attention must be paid to the underlying cause.

Untreated diabetes, hypertension, hypogonadism, and other systemic conditions are clinical entities that go far beyond erection problems. Without going any further, ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in high-income countries, and this is widely related to high cholesterol, being hypertensive, being diabetic or having obesity.

So that, it is necessary to see the trigger more as a clinical sign than as a personal failure, since it is almost always preceded by a physical or emotional condition of a pathological nature. If we don't blame or ridicule a person for having leg swelling, why does dysfunction carry such negative connotations? Both are clinical signs and, therefore, a reason for a medical visit and care by a specialist.

Being vulnerable as a man is not bad

In this point, all that remains is to break a spear in favor of "vulnerability" and, to a certain extent, the deconstruction of classical masculinity. Historically, we are taught that men should be strong, imposing, reluctant to talk about our feelings, and protective of the opposite sex. Fortunately, current gender dynamics and identity specters are increasingly moving us forward as a society in this area, but much work remains to be done.

Having a sexual problem is not a fault, but a clinical sign. It is not a question of masculinity or lack of manhood, but of a pathological picture.or. When this event is normalized as part of a larger picture that must be dealt with (and behavioral barriers are broken down) eminently masculine), men will be more vocal about their problems and diseases can be detected before they are chronify.