High Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction
June 30, 2021
5 mins
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common medical conditions, and affects nearly one in every four American adults. It is also very closely linked with erectile dysfunction as blood pressure and blood flow are both very important with developing and maintaining erections.
Bringing your blood pressure into a more healthy and optimal range is not only good for your overall health, but is also a good way to reduce the risk of experiencing erection issues and improving your sexual health.
Blood Flow and Erections
Two of the most important factors involved with the erection process are blood pressure and blood flow. Whenever you start to feel sexually aroused, your brain will send chemical signals to the tissues of your penis. These signals will tell the two cylindrical areas of tissue that run from the base of your penis to the tip of it, called the corpora cavernosa, to expand in order to increase the blood flow to your penis.
As more blood flows into the penis, the level of pressure will increase and the penis will become firm. Your brain will also send signals to the tissues of your penis that will tell them to prevent blood from leaving, maintaining the firmness of the penis and creating an erection.
Whenever sex has reached its natural conclusion, or stimulation has ended, the pressure levels of the tissues and veins surrounding the penis will drop, causing blood to flow out of the penis and softening the erection.
Even the slightest alteration in this delicate process can result in erectile dysfunction, and high blood pressure could potentially impact it at every single step.
How High Pressure Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Over time, high blood pressure will start to cause damage to your arteries, specifically it will make them smaller and more rigid. As a result, your blood flow overall will end up being weak and inconsistent. This will significantly elevate your risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke, as well as limit the flow of blood to your penis, which can result in erectile dysfunction.
An estimated 30% of men that experience high blood pressure will also experience some varying degree of erectile dysfunction as well. Perhaps ironically, there are several medications used to treat high blood pressure that come with a potential side effect of erectile dysfunction.
However, there are effective drug treatments available for high blood pressure that aren’t known to cause erectile dysfunction. Additionally, high blood pressure may also have a significant impact on the following:
Sex Drive
High blood pressure is also commonly associated with lower levels of testosterone, the key sex hormone responsible for the male sex drive. One study from 2002 found that men with higher blood pressure had lower levels of testosterone when compared to men with regular blood pressure levels. Testosterone is a very important factor in the overall sexual health of a man.
So, not only can high blood pressure potentially create erectile dysfunction it can also reduce a man’s overall drive and desire for sex as well.
Performance
High blood pressure can cause blood vessels to harden, which will make it more difficult for blood to flow into the penis, a critical step in the process of achieving an erection. This difficulty will have a dramatic impact on your overall sexual performance, especially if erections are tough to get and easy to lose. Additionally, high blood pressure will make the act of physical exercise more challenging.
As a result, people with high blood pressure tend to not meet their daily requirement of exercise and generally aren’t in the best physical condition for their highest potential in terms of sexual performance. Sex might not burn as many calories as people may think it does, but it is still a physically demanding activity that will require healthy respiratory and cardiovascualr systems for best results.
What Are The Medications Most Known To Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Not all high blood pressure medications will result in erectile dysfunction, but two of the most popular ones can. Beta blockers and diuretics are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, but have a history of erectile dysfunction as a side effect. If you are experiencing erectile dysfunction while taking either of these medications, you should talk to your doctor about switching to another medication.
Diuretics
Diuretics, sometimes called water pills, can have a negative effect on the flow of blood to your penis, making erections more difficult. Additionally, diuretics are commonly associated with lowering the levels of zinc of the people that take them. Zinc is a critical component of the production of testosterone, so lower zinc levels typically results in lower testerone levels. These lower levles might diminish your overall sex drive.
Beta Blockers
Beta blockers will have an impact on the parts of the nervous system that are responsible for the creation of erections. In addition, they can also influence the blood flow to the penis, making it more difficult to achieve or maintain an erection.
Are There Blood Pressure Medications That Don’t Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Fortunately, there are drugs available that can treat high blood pressure without creating erectile dysfunction as a side effect. If you are currently taking medication for high blood pressure, or are going to start soon, and have concerns about the possibility of erectile dysfunction, you should ask your doctor if any of these treatments will work.
Alpha Blockers
For the most part, alpha blockers do not cause erection problems. In one study, a small number of men actually found they had a 100% improvement in their erectile dysfunction after being on the alpha blocker Cardura for two years.
ARBs
ARBs, angiotensin II receptor blockers, are not only unlikely to cause erection problems, but they might actually improve sexual function in men with high blood pressure.
One study focused on the ARB called Cozaar. At the start of it, only 7% of the men and women in the study said that they felt sexually satisfied overall. After using Cozaar for 12 weeks, almost 58% said they were sexually satisfied and the percentage of men who reported experiencing erectile dysfunction dropped from 75% to 12%.
Another study compared Diovan, an ARB, with Coreg, a beta blocker. The study focused on the effect of the two drugs on both blood pressure and the frequency of sexual intercourse. The drugs were both effective at controlling blood pressure equally, but the people taking the ARB reported having sex more often during the 16 week treatment. They reported having sex about eight times a month before treatment, and 10 times after. People taking the beta blocker reported eight times a month before, and four times a month after.
ACE Inhibitors
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors, such as Capoten, Lotensin, Prinivil, and Zestril, will widen the blood vessels and increase the blood flow. Erectile dysfunction is a very rare side effect, occurring in less than 1% of patients.
Calcium Channel Blockers
The drugs known as calcium channel blockers, such as Amlodipine, Diltizaem, or Verapamil, are rarely known to cause erectile dysfunction. Erection problems may be less common with some individual drugs within this group than with others. Your doctor should be able to tell you which.
Natural Ways To Lower Blood Pressure
The best way to treat high blood pressure is to talk with a doctor about how to safely and sustainably reduce it. Your doctor may recommend various lifestyle changes, or they may recommend using medication.
For the most part, high blood pressure is caused by several different factors at once. These are some of the most effective steps that can be taken in order to lower blood pressure safely:
Cardiovascular exercise like jogging or cycling can help lower your blood pressure. Aim for 30 minutes of steady exercise once per day to significantly reduce your average blood pressure level. .
Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat and increase the amount of vegetables you eat. You should also avoid sodium as much as possible. One of the fastest ways to lower your blood pressure to reduce your consumption of salty and sodium foods.
Limit your alcohol consumption and quit smoking if you currently do. Drinking too much alcohol will raise your blood pressure and smoking tobacco products has been shown to significantly increase blood pressure as well.
Working to lose weight can help to lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure is common in men with a high body mass index and excess fat around their waist.
The Takeaway: High blood pressure and erectile dysfunction are very closely linked in several ways. Not only can having high blood pressure make it harder to achieve an erection, it can even impact your sex drive and performance as well. It’s even possible for some medications for high blood pressure to cause erectile dysfunction as a side effect.
Lowering your blood pressure will go a long way in helping to combat erectile dysfunction. A diet change, some more exercise, and cutting back on drinking and smoking are just a few changes that will help in the process.
In the meantime, it may be a good idea to talk with your doctor about prescription ED medication for treating erectile dysfunction. These drugs can help eliminate the symptoms of erectile dysfunction while you work to lower your blood pressure naturally.
SOURCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4105387/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22240443/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556066/
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3710/cardura-oral/details
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431051/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17372029/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482473/
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6314/diovan-oral/details
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-11528/cozaar-oral/details
https://academic.oup.com/cardiovascres/article/53/3/688/328995
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