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The lights are low, Barry White is on the stereo, a bottle of wine is open … it’s the start of a very good evening. You know the drill. But do you really know what happens throughout your body each time you have an erection?
Erections are a natural, healthy part of male life. Sexual stimulation causes the erection, but there is a lot going on inside the body, and the mind, besides a simple cause and effect. It’s a complex series of events with many facets along the way, and there is more to it than what you learned in health class.
So if you’ve ever wondered just what goes on during an erection, besides the obvious, here is a less technical explanation of the very scientific process that happens every time you’re in the mood.
Sexual Stimulation is Only the Beginning
The sexual stimulation necessary for an erection might originate from any number of things. It varies from man to man. Any, or many, of the five senses may be involved. It could be a thought or touch, or a sight or sound. Maybe it’s a combination of several things. Or maybe it’s just the anticipation or mindset.
Whatever triggers sexual arousal, the brain is on alert. If an erection is going to happen, the brain has a job to do.
Once the stimulation registers, the brain releases a signal, which travels down through the spine until it reaches a certain set of nerves. These nerves are called nervi erigentes, and they originate from the sacral portion of the spine. The sacrum is below the lumbar region, near the bottom of the spine behind the pelvis.
Nerves Step in to Continue the Process
Once the signal from the brain travels down the spinal cord and reaches its sacral destination, those special nerves take over. Their job is to release nitric oxide into the penis.
Nitric oxide has a specific and critical purpose in an erection, explains Cornell University. When it is released into the penis, smooth muscle cells inside the penis relax. Relaxed muscles might seem counterintuitive to an erection; they’re not. As the smooth muscle cells relax, the volume of blood necessary for an erection can flow freely into the penis.
Blood flows through the penis all the time, as with any other part of the body. This oxygenation is what keeps healthy tissue alive. But the erection process is different. Instead of blood flowing through the tissue and back out again, an erection requires a lot of blood to stay put.
So far, we have stimulation in the brain, a brain signal that travels down the spine, and nerves near the bottom of the spine that receive the message and release a dose of nitric oxide.
Two Cylinders Capture the Blood Flow
The anatomy of the penis includes two cylinders, side by side, that run the length. These cylinders are called the corpora cavernosa, and each one is filled with a spongy tissue, an artery, and smooth muscle cells. These are the same cells that nitric oxide affects, causing them to relax.
Under the influence of nitric oxide, the blood that flows into the penis fills and swells the spongy tissue inside the corpora cavernosa cylinders. But it doesn’t flow back out. Until about the 1980s, scientists had little idea why this happens, they only knew that it did.
Now, scientists, and we, understand that nitric oxide’s effect on smooth muscle cells triggers yet another part of the complex erection process.
Once the stimulation, signal, and nitric oxide do their work, blood begins to flow into the penis. What happens next determines why it stays there.
How the Blood Becomes Trapped
When the smooth muscle cells relax, a muscle enzyme, called guanylate cyclase, starts yet another process. This enzyme produces a chemical called cGMP. The official name is cyclic guanine monophosphate, and it has a very special job.
cGMP is what makes the hydraulic system that is an erection work like you want it to. It dilates or enlarges the blood vessels leading into the penis. At the same time, it constricts the blood vessels that would otherwise carry blood back out again.
The blood flowing in fills up the sponges, which temporarily trap it, which creates the pressure that is the hallmark of an erection. Hydraulics in action.
Once stimulation reaches its peak, or is lost, the blood vessels that were expanded begin to constrict. This stops blood from flowing in, and lets it flow back out again.
As you can see, erections aren’t as straightforward as a simple cause and effect. Nothing in the human body is that easy to define, so naturally healthy erections aren’t, either.
Because so many different factors are required for an erection to occur, it stands to reason that if one of them doesn’t happen the way it’s supposed to, you could experience erection health issues. There is a delicate balance involved, which a number of things could throw out of whack.
PDE5, and PDE5 Inhibitors
PDE5 is naturally occurring enzyme inside the two spongy cylinders of the penis. Its job, or at least one of its jobs, is to facilitate the release of blood flow back out of the penis after an erection. It does this by breaking down cGMP. So cGMP dilates blood vessels that supply the penis, and constricts other vessels to trap the blood in the spongy chambers. PDE5 breaks down cGMP.
Some drugs that help with erection health are called PDE5 inhibitors, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. Pretty self-explanatory. Medications such as Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis inhibit the enzyme that inhibits an erection. They work for many men with different causes of erection health problems, and are generally tolerated very well. One notable exception is men who take nitrates, as they should not also take PDE5 inhibitors.
Erections aren’t governed by age as much as health. Unhealthy erections can surface at any age. Some are related to loss of libido or low testosterone, but many are caused by an underlying health condition. High blood pressure, diabetes, and physical problems such as nerve damage, can set the stage for erection health issues.
The anatomy of an erection is complex, with each step of the process dependent on the others. But the solution to many erection health problems is as simple as a single medication.
eDrugstore.com sells the PDE5 inhibitor drugs, Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis, which have been proven safe and effective for many men. We offer the privacy and convenience of online ordering, and your discreetly-packed shipment arrives right at your door. If you’re ready to try something that works, see what eDrugstore.com has to offer.
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