The detrimental health effects of smoking are well documented, with all manner of cancers and heart issues being tied to the habit. These potential maladies aren’t always enough to scare men away from taking up smoking, but when it comes up that long term smoking can lead to losing the ability to achieve an erections, men tend to think twice about lighting up.
This isn’t jut a scare tactic either; research has found that men smoke regularly are at a higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction. This is because smoking can lead to plaque developing in your arteries. When your arteries are clogged up with plaque, your blood flow tends to pay the price. This translates into blood flow being slowed throughout the body, preventing your heart from steadily supplying blood to parts of the body that require ample blood flow to function properly, such as the penis.
When plaque begins to build up in the body, it tends to affect the smallest arteries first. Some of the smallest arteries in the body are the bundle that leads directly to the penis, which are tasked with supplying the penis with blood. When clogged, these arteries can’t get blood to the penis, which means the penis cannot engorge and achieve an erection. Long story short: No blood, no erection.
So, yes, smoking can lead to your erection ultimately paying the price. If cancer and heart disease can’t stop a man from smoking, inevitable erectile dysfunction should do the trick. Cut out the cigarettes and your erection should be around for many years to come.