For at least nine months, local and national government entities have encouraged the use of facemasks to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Wearing the proper facial covering can help protect not only the wearer but the people around from adverse effects of the virus.
From the loss of taste and smell as one of the milder symptoms to lung failure and death being a result, many people have been advocated for widespread measures to stop the virus from spreading. Now, men have another reason to wear a mask.
There are now fears the disease could affect a man's ability to perform in the bedroom even after they have recovered, according to reports.
Although the majority of people seem to recover from Covid-19, infectious disease expert Dr. Dena Grayson warned they expect to see more "long term negative consequences of infection", as time goes on, including neurological complications.
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"Men could have long-term issues of erectile dysfunction from this virus because we know that it causes issues in the vasculature," Grayson says. "This is something that is of real concern. It's not just that this virus can kill you but can actually cause long-term, lifelong, potentially, complications."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the reported long-term effects of COVID-19 are brain fog, intermittent fever, heart palpitations, lung function abnormalities and acute kidney injury. The agency does not list impotence as a reported consequence, but as Grayson noted, experts are learning more and more about the disease and its aftermath as the number of infections grows.
New research into 500 "low-risk" individuals revealed that the virus can have a long-lasting effect on some of the major organs.
The Coverscan study found that of the first 200 patients to undergo screening, 70 percent had damage in one or more organs, including the heart, lungs, liver and pancreas.
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According to the Mayo Clinic, Male sexual arousal is a complex process that involves the brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. Erectile dysfunction can result from a problem with any of these. Likewise, stress and mental health concerns can cause or worsen erectile dysfunction.
Sometimes a combination of physical and psychological issues causes erectile dysfunction. For instance, a minor physical condition that slows your sexual response might cause anxiety about maintaining an erection. The resulting anxiety can lead to or worsen erectile dysfunction.
Physical causes of erectile dysfunction
In many cases, erectile dysfunction is caused by something physical. Common causes include:
Heart disease
Clogged blood vessels (atherosclerosis)
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Metabolic syndrome — a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels, body fat around the waist and high cholesterol
Parkinson's disease
Multiple sclerosis
Certain prescription medications
Tobacco use
Peyronie's disease — development of scar tissue inside the penis
Alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse
Sleep disorders
Treatments for prostate cancer or enlarged prostate
Surgeries or injuries that affect the pelvic area or spinal cord
Low testosterone
Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction
The brain plays a key role in triggering the series of physical events that cause an erection, starting with feelings of sexual excitement. A number of things can interfere with sexual feelings and cause or worsen erectile dysfunction. These include:
Depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions
Stress
Relationship problems due to stress, poor communication or other concerns
Now you can add COVID to the list of causes. No matter what your reason is, wear a mask until we can all be together again.
