Surgeon General: Smoking Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction

For the past 50 years, the US Surgeon General’s office has denounced smoking because of the many negative effects it has on health.

Heart disease and lung cancer are the two most well-known risks of smoking addiction. But current US Surgeon General Boris Lushniak recently released an updated report on the bad effects of smoking, and the news is grimmer than ever, even though far fewer people smoke today than in 1964 when the first report was issued. Back then, 42% of American adults smoked, whereas today only 18% do. However, the goal of government health officials is to reduce that number to 10% over the next ten years.

One risk outlined in the latest report could get plenty of attention, and might be a tipping point of sorts for men contemplating kicking the habit: smoking causes erectile dysfunction (ED). Currently more than 30 million American men suffer from ED, with that number expected to double by 2025, according to a New York Post article from last November.

How Smoking Affects Erectile Function

Smoking can cause ED both directly and indirectly. Directly, smoking decreases the ability of the body to use nitric acid, which is a quick-acting chemical that keeps arteries open, letting blood flow into the penis and allowing an erection to happen. Indirectly, smoking causes heart disease, which is systemic and interferes with blood flow throughout the body, including to the penis. And low blood flow to the penis means softer or nonexistent erections. Over time the damage worsens, as does ED due to smoking.

What Happens When You Quit Smoking

The good news is that it is never too late to quit smoking, and no matter how long you have smoked, quitting improves your health. Here’s what happens when you kick the habit:

• Within a day or two, pulse rate and blood pressure drop, and the levels of carbon monoxide in the blood drop. Smell and taste improve, and the temperature of hands and feet increase.
• Within three months, heart attack risk falls, and circulation improves, including circulation to the sex organs.
• If you remain smoke-free for 5 years or more, your risk of coronary artery disease is similar to that of people who have never smoked, as is the risk of death for your age group.
• Quitting smoking helps some men recover erectile function partly to fully, according to WebMD.

Could Kicking the Habit Help ED Drugs Work Better?

There are many lifestyle and disease factors that affect erectile function. Men who are diabetic, obese, or who smoke are more likely to experience ED, and men who control their diabetes, lose excess weight, and quit smoking often improve erectile functioning significantly. Furthermore, men with lower risk of heart disease are better candidates for ED medications like Viagra because they are less likely to experience side effects due to drug interactions. If you want to give your ED medication the best possible chance of working, quitting smoking is one of the most important and effective steps you can take.

Everyone knows that smoking is detrimental to health, and the Surgeon General has really hammered that point home with the Surgeon General’s Office latest report on smoking, linking smoking directly to ED. Today’s ED medications are highly effective, but they work best when they aren’t fighting against the short and long term effects of smoking. Whatever motivates a person to give up smoking is good, and the prospect of better, more satisfying sex could be just the motivation that a lot of men need.

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