Erectile dysfunction has shifted from being a taboo to a topic that is discussed openly just like any other medical condition. Since the introduction of drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in the late 1990's there was a significant progress in the domain of erectile dysfunction. More studies and clinical trials were conducted in order to identify the exact causes and possible treatments of this condition. And now we know more about the factors influencing male impotence than we know 15 years ago. So what causes erectile dysfunction in the first place?

Let's first take note that it's a bit wrong to denote erectile dysfunction as a separate medical condition. Sure, it gets diagnosed, there are different grades of severity and methods of treatment. However, erectile dysfunction never takes place without another health condition causing it. You won't find a perfectly healthy individual with erectile problems, unless he has his genitals physically removed or modified (which definitely doesn't fit into the notion of healthy). So it's correct to say that erectile dysfunction is a serious symptom for a more complex health problem rather than a problem on its own.

Doctors usually classify factors causing ED into two groups: psychological and physiological. Depending on the type of factor involved there are different sets of treatment options offered. Quite often there can be a mix of both types of factors involved, when a physical condition causes psychological problems and visa versa. The most common physical factors known to cause male impotence include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, medication or treatment side effects, substance abuse and smoking. Psychological causes for the development of erectile dysfunction include stress, depression, anxiety disorders, mental illnesses, relationship problems and psychological trauma. In some cases the actual reasons behind erectile dysfunction can be pretty apparent, while in others patients don't even suspect having any problems before being sent to a medical exam.

As stated earlier, the actual cause behind erectile problems is the key to finding proper treatment. In about 90% of all ED cases the reasons are physiological and are much harder to asses than psychological problems. In case of a psychological issue there's usually no need in any medications as a simple conversation with a professional, hypnosis or cognitive therapy is enough to eliminate the cause and restore normal erectile functions. Unfortunately that's not the case for physiological conditions.

Virtually all physiological causes behind erectile dysfunction affect the blood circulation in the penile area. This in turns lead to weaker blood flow during erection, which results in weak and temporary erections. That's why the popular ED drugs like Levitra or Viagra are commonly effective in nearly all cases of physically-induced impotence no matter what is the actual cause behind the problem. Levitra and other ED drugs increase the blood flow into the penis when erection occurs, which helps negating the effects of physical conditions at cause. However, it's always recommended that you consult with your doctor before using Levitra or any other drugs in order to make sure you're taking the right dosage for your specific situation.