The hazards associated with regular smoking are well documented, but they don’t seem to dissuade people from picking up the habit. When you tell a man that daily cigarettes can lead to cancer and early death, they’ll offer a shrug and rationalize that everyone dies one day. But men might be less likely to light up if they knew that smoking can oftentimes lead to potentially irreversible erectile dysfunction.
This isn’t an old wives tale, either. The connection between smoking and erectile dysfunction is well documented, and there’s plenty of science to back it up. While you might wonder how smoking could possibly tie to your ability to perform in bed, the connection is easy to explain.
You see, regular smoking narrows the blood vessels within the body, which hampers the flow of blood. When blood vessels begin to narrow, it’s always the smallest vessels within the body that get affected first. One of the smallest collections of blood vessels within the body are responsible for providing blood to the penis. When this vessel cluster narrows, the body struggles to provide adequate blood to the penis to produce an erection. If the penis cannot get the blood it requires, it cannot produce an erection, and you’re left disappointed.
And this narrowing of the vessels won’t only affect your penis. If your heart cannot properly provide the necessary blood to various parts of the body, your body will struggle to keep up with your demands. Furthermore, regular smoking weakens the heart, slowing blood output and putting you on the fast track for heart problems.
So while kicking cigarettes to the curb can feel downright impossible, it’s something you need to do to preserve your sex life and avoid an early grave. Speak with a health professional about the best way to quit smoking, and together you can work to get your body back in fighting shape.