Did you know that you are risking yourself to erectile dysfunction by smoking cigarette? Before you shrug off the statement, let me tell you that Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the British Medical Association (BMA) estimate that up to 120,000 UK men in their 30s and 40s are impotent as a direct consequence of smoking. Now, still I can see the signs of doubt on your face. You need concrete reasons to quit smoking, am I right? I understand that you are pretty addicted to the four-inch-fire-stick and need to breathe in till the end of it. But if you lose your sexual pleasure for good in lieu to the pleasure of smoking, will you not be a loser in this bargain?

Sexual functioning requires balanced coordination among hormones, nervous system to carry stimulation and healthy vascular system to pump blood to the penile tissues to cause a proper erection. Absence of any component among them will inevitably lead to erectile dysfunction. Now, what is the contribution of smoking in causing erectile dysfunction? Smoking affects the vascular system by narrowing down the blood vessels that contributes to the blockage of arteries; therefore the penis gets insufficient blood pumped into it, which results in a failed erection. Strokes and heart attacks are other life threatening diseases which can be caused by smoking. Now, let me tell you that smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction by 50% for men in their 30s and 40s. Let us see what nicotine actually does to the male private part to negate an erection.

? Atherosclerosis, a fatty deposit in the arteries, built up by long term smoking, blocks the inflow route of blood into the penis.
? Acute Vasospasm, a result of nicotine stimulation sent to the brain, causes rapid contraction in the penile tissues. This situation restricts blood flow into the penis.
? The presence of nicotine in the blood stream damages the valve mechanism that traps blood in the penis. This problem is known as venous dilation.
? Nicotine also reduces the volume of ejaculation.
? It lowers sperm count and the sperm develops an abnormal shape.
? The sperm motility is also impaired by nicotine.

Cigarette smoke contains about 4000 chemicals, most of which are supposed to damage the vascular system. The most dangerous chemicals are carbon monoxide, nicotine, and butadiene, causing thousands of deaths and millions of heart attacks, arthritis and impotence. A sheer fact can be deduced from the following findings; cigarette smoking results systemic arterial damage. We can infer another fact that impotence or erectile dysfunction is a signal to other life threatening diseases like heart attack, stroke and other heart and artery related problems.

The awareness related to the adversities of cigarette smoking is very low when it comes to erectile dysfunction. The smokers who are reading this article, I request them to analyze and weigh up their situation. If you have experienced the above mentioned symptoms related to your sexual life, you are in a deep soup. But at the same time, let me tell you, the situation is not irreversible. You can go back to your healthy sexual self just by quitting cigarette smoke. If the level of addiction is too high, there are therapies and medicinal help available for quitting cigarette, seek help from your doctor. Quit smoking right now so that you do not have to spend money on Viagra in future. Rather leave this smoking habit altogether, you will save your health, your sexuality and your money for a better life ahead.

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