So you’ve decided to take the plunge and invest in a bottle of little blue pills. Viagra is one of the most recognizable drugs of all time, so when it came time to decide which brand to go with to treat your erectile dysfunction, it seemed like a no brainer. Viagra is known for doing what it’s intended to do: cause erections. But how exactly does it work? What is causing this little blue to pill to tell the body to achieve an erection? If you want to understand the drug you’re taking, here’s a simple breakdown of how Viagra operates.

Erectile dysfunction is caused when blood cannot consistently reach the penis. The penis depends on a steady flow of blood to stand at attention, so when the body is struggling to get blood down below, this translates into missed erections. Reduced blood flow can be caused be a number of issues, such as plaque build up in the blood vessels, constriction of the blood vessels, or problems with the heart. Even if blood is flowing normally through the rest of the body, the key arteries leading to the penis may narrow, leading to blood struggling to reach the penis to induce erections.

To get blood to reach the penis, your body is going to need help. This is where Viagra comes in. When ingested, Viagra dissolves in the acid of the stomach and is then dissipated throughout the blood stream of the body. The Viagra essentially sends a signal to the brain, letting the brain know that it’s time to open up the arteries. The brain then responds to this chemical signal and tells the smooth muscles that line the arteries to relax, which allows the blood vessels to expand.

From there, it’s business as normal. The Viagra will keep the blood vessels open, allowing blood to reach the penis. To achieve an erection, you’ll need to go about it the old-fashioned way, but once sexual stimulation has been communicated to the brain, it can quickly supply the penis with blood, allowing the penis to achieve an erection.

So there you have it. Viagra facilitates blood flow, which allows your penis to spring to life. Now that you know how Viagra works, it’s time to put it to use for you.