First Clue to Erectile Dysfunction (ED)!
If the arterial blood vessels leading to the male organ do not open properly, it is almost impossible for a male to have an erection. This is the leading cause of ED and poor sexual health in men.
Prior to 1983, most doctors thought the problem of poor sexual health was primarily mental not physical. That was until the 1983 meeting of the American Urological Association in Las Vegas. At that meeting and on stage, Dr. Giles Brindley injected his male organ with the drug phentolamine. The result was an instant erection. And to prove his point, Dr. Brindley dropped his pants to display his drug-induced erection. Needless to say not everything done in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. Dr. Brindley's bold presentation showed that an erection was a physiological issue more than a mental issue.
To understand what happened we need to talk about muscles. Yes, I know I said muscles were not involved. Technically speaking I'm still going to hold this position.
There are three groups of muscles:
* Skeletal - Skeletal muscles are those muscles that attach to the bones allowing us to move.
* Cardiac - The cardiac muscle powers the heart.
* Smooth - Smooth muscles are found in blood vessels, the intestines and the stomach. They usually act involuntarily.
Dr. Brindley injected himself with phentolamine. It is a drug that relaxes smooth muscle. Because of the location where he injected himself, the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels relaxed allowing the corpora cavernosa to completely fill with pressurized blood. Instant and uncontrolled erection!
Second Clue to ED!
The second clue to ED and poor sexual health centers on the body's ability to control blood flow. Without some type of control, there would be an even amount of blood flow to most of the body. This might be OK if we were vegetables and inactive but we aren't. We are constantly on the go so the body has designed a mechanism to help divert blood flow to the areas that need it the most.
Think of your circulatory system as an elaborate design of pipes with valves. These valves can control both the flow of blood as well as divert blood to the areas that need it the most. This is going to get a bit technical but the control mechanism incorporates the following steps:
1. The brain sends a signal to a particular nerve fiber. The nerve fiber ends in an NANC nerve cell located in the artery near the point where blood flow needs to be changed. This NANC nerve cell creates nitric oxide, a potentially dangerous free radical.
2. The NANC nerve cell releases nitric oxide into the blood and surrounding cells.
3. The nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule to stimulate an enzyme called guanylate cyclase. This enzyme keeps the nitric oxide from causing damage by using it with GTP to produce a chemical called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).
4. cGMP tells the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessel to relax. This allows blood flow to increase.
5. There is another enzyme called phosphodiesterase (PDE) that deactivates the cGMP by turning it back into GTP.
6. When the cGMP is deactivated, the smooth muscle returns to its original constricted state.
Confused?
Think of a cycle.
Guanylate cyclase turns GTP into cGMP causing smooth muscles to relax.
PDE turns cGMP into GTP causing the smooth muscles to return back to their constricted state. Nitric oxide turns this cycle on from a nerve impulse generated in the brain.
So, cGMP is produced as long as the brain is sending signals that initiate the production of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is produced as long as there is an adequate supply of the essential amino acid L-arginine.
Third clue to ED!
When a man suffers from ED and poor sexual health, the most common reason is the lack of nitric oxide in the blood vessels of the corpora cavernosa. When a man is aroused his brain does its job by sending the proper signal to the nerves located in his male organ. The nerves produce nitric oxide but the amount of cGMP produced is not enough to maintain an erection.
Read on tomorrow to find out how Viagra solves this problem.
About the Author
Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years. His website www.Aging-No-More.com provides current information on how to slow down the aging process.
Labels: anti-aging, health |
