Okay I’m thinking (and have read around it) there are two basic answers:
Stress
Old age
But the question is why? I realise that muscle tissue degenerates somewhat during the good old years… but the thing is, Viagra still makes an 80 year old man’s loins jingle (you know what I mean). So what is happening inside the Long John that promotes him to General?
I’ve read that nitrogen oxide is at work… and that the penis responds to this chemical by stiffening… do levels of this chemical drop during old age? Is this why men become less stiff?
And what the heck does stress do? I mean, the thinking should go that with stress comes greater arousal/sexual excitement. This (at least in the short term) should lead to greater sexual appetite. So why doesn’t it?
I wouldn’t put the third on my list - since it’s something that is already unnatural (and foreign) to the human body. The simple way you could prevent alcohol from damaging your erectile capabilities is by not consuming any.
Dear lord in the High Heavens, I saw this thread title as “What causes election problems?”
I was confused by all the talk of Viagra and jingling loins. “What does that have to do with the electoral process?” I thought. “Surely that would be referring to the '96 election… Bush ain’t that old, and we know Clinton didn’t have any troubles.”
Causes?
Diabetes
Vascular disease
neuropathies, especially those associated with diabetes
Multiple Sclerosis
testosterone deficiency
excess prolactin levels
over or underactive thyroid gland
Adrenal gland abnormalities.
Renal failure
Parkinsonism
Alzheimer’s
Obesity
Peyronie’s disease.
Those are just the disease states which most commonly cause physiologic impotence. I make no mention here of the multiple drugs, medications, surgeries or activities which can cause it.
Many of the above-mentioned disease processes cause erectile dysfunction by working against vascular dilation.
Viagra can overcome some of the underlying pathology of some of the above-mentioned diseases, basically by artificially dilating the penile vasculature network, and allowing increased blood flow to the area.
Not that I’ve ever been married, mind you, but that is what I’ve been told by many of those who have been there, done that. They also report that a change of partner (A.K.A. business trip) does wonders for getting the “area” (as Qadgop the Mercotan calls it) ticking again.