Why Do So Many Younger Men Now Have Erectile Dysfunction?

July 26, 2022

ed-modifiableHave you ever wondered why some males today have been dealing with erectile dysfunction – the inability to start or maintain an erection – as early as their college years? What’s wrong with them and why does the condition seem to discriminate less among age groups today?

Make no mistake about it: relatively young men are still in the minority of patients suffering ED, which still strikes in males predominantly over age 50. A 2013 study, however, highlighted that about one in four ED patients are under 40 years old. Since they are virtually unheard of, they may be left alone and dealing with their condition with embarrassment and difficulty.

ED from the Old to the Young

The truth is that erectile dysfunction – which is a chronic event and very different from the occasional inability to become erect during sex – can strike anytime in men, currently affecting almost 30 million in the United States alone based on data from the National Institutes of Health. More doctors’ anecdotes, through, have reported increasing numbers of younger patients, including from the accounts of women who use the online dating app Tinder.

Speculation has it that erectile dysfunction in younger males may be the result of a combination of anxiety and psychological issues, chemical in processed food and the environment, and medical history. The causes may be generally divided into physical and psychological.

If for older men the issue is usually a medical condition like diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease, the case is rather different for younger men. ED in this age group is more likely to stem from a psychical trauma or an injury, such as one emerging from sports or exercise. In addition, lifestyle choices such as excess cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and substance abuse may play a massive role in the onset of this sexual dysfunction.

The effects go beyond an inability to have fun, fulfilling sexual intercourse. ED in younger males could ruin both sex and social lives, particularly in the face of today’s “hookup culture.” A patient may feel ashamed about establishing intimacy or keeping connections in the bedroom.

What Can Be Done?

Even in treatment, younger males may be facing more challenges ahead. Since they are young and at the peak of their game, there are doctor and psychologists who assume that their erectile dysfunction is merely temporary or will go away on its own, hindering them from the treatment they need to receive. They get rather dismissed with this thinking: it will go away.

But ED might not really go away soon or on its own, even in the young and relatively healthy. Therefore the range of options remains tempting, and they included prescription medications such as the blue pill, i.e., Viagra; procedures such as penis injections and surgery; and tools such as penis pumps for a mechanical solution to the problem.

There are alternative healthy solutions as well, ranging from food to physical activity to herbal supplementation. The trick is to get properly diagnosed (assert yourself to your healthcare provider if you feel it is a valid erectile concern you have) and to seek safe, effective remedies to regain you’re A-game in lovemaking.