Tobacco.org

Cigarettes are hazardous to your erection: smoking and sexual health 

The four most common causes of erectile dysfunction are smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. All of these heath problems damage blood vessels. Of the four, only smoking is a otherwise healthy young man's problem. Smoking doubles the risk of moderate to severe erectile dysfunction.

A man who starts smoking at the age of 18 and continues for 20 years may have his sex life seriously derailed by the age of 38. Smoking is the most common cause of ED for men under 40. The more cigarettes smoked, the greater the risk. As men age other conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, may develop further compounding the problem.

This kind of damage is very hard to reverse - only 25% of men will see improvement in their erectile dysfunction if they quit smoking. Other options include drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis; however, these therapies are most effective when combined with smoking cessation.

The good news - smoking rates in California are on the decline and are the second lowest in the United States. The bad news is 17% of Californian men and 9% of women still smoke.

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