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You know the old song that lists what bones are connected to what? Knee bones connected to the leg bone and whatnot? Well, it turns out that there are parts of your body that are connected to each other that didn’t make it into that catchy tune.

For instance, your mouth and your penis. They’re pretty much on opposite ends of the body, but it turns out they are more connected than you would suspect.

In a study published in the online compendium Journal of Sex and Medicine, researchers revealed that a link had been found between poor dental hygiene and erectile dysfunction.

Scientists studied rats with periodontitis, which is a severe inflammation of the gums. This gum disease leads to increased inflammation within the body, which can lead to various health conditions, such as heart disease. Heart disease can lead to complications with blood flow, which can lead to, you guessed it, erectile dysfunction.

Furthermore, it was found that periodontitis lead to decreased levels of the enzyme eNOS in the rats. This enzyme is responsible for producing nitric acid, which helps to regulate blood flow. If eNOS decreases, blood flow slows, and erections become difficult.

While the lead researcher on the study stressed that these findings are so far only conclusive in rats, the team intends to follow up the study with an investigation into the effect of periodontitis on the erectile ability of human men.

So if you’re looking to protect your erection, make sure to keep your chompers looking nice. Brush twice every day, floss, practice good dental hygiene, and your erection will thank you.

For most people, erectile dysfunction is commonly associated with growing older, a natural part of the aging process. For others, it’s the occasional missed erection after a few drinks too many.

But the stark truth is that erectile dysfunction is no laughing matter. Capable of striking at any moment, ED is a serious affliction with serious consequences. Losing your erection can be a deeply embarrassing problem, but ED can be even worse than simply losing your erection.

In fact, ED can oftentimes be an indicator of something much, much worse.

While many men would be quick to write off a bout of erectile dysfunction as being caused by a poor diet or stress at the office, it would be wise to not be so flippant about your ED.

ED has been linked to a litany of health problems. Research has found that ED can be a byproduct of serious diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even prostate cancer. Experts have found that ED can even be an early warning sign for developing neurogenic diseases such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.

Bottom line: ED isn’t always dangerous, but it could be. While the occasional missed erection is no reason to start drafting out your will, it would still be wise to speak to a medical professional about your problem. While talking to a doctor about losing your erection can be embarrassing, it could very well save your life.

For those afflicted with diabetes, the condition can already feel like a full time job. You have to watch what you eat, you have to keep a close eye on your blood glucose level; Diabetes can really feel like a handful.

To add insult to injury, diabetes is one of the most commonly linked ailments to erectile dysfunction. Research has found that about 35%-75% of men with diabetes will experience some degree of erectile dysfunction during their lifetime. Additionally, it has been found that men with diabetes typically develop ED about 10 to 15 tears before men without diabetes.

No matter how you cut it, if you’re a man with diabetes, you are at an increased risk for erectile dysfunction.

But having diabetes doesn’t mean you’ll inevitably lose the ability to achieve an erection. In fact, by living healthy, you won’t have to worry about losing your erection for many, many years.

So how does a man with diabetes prevent ED from developing? Simple: It’s all about your blood sugar. That magic little number you get when you test yourself relates to your glucose levels. For men with diabetes, your glucose levels can play an integral part in just about every aspect of your body.

If you want to prevent erectile dysfunction, you need to control your blood sugar. Eat healthy, slim down your portion sizes, cut out sugary sodas, and get active.

By living well, you’ll find your glucose levels will consistently be good. With good glucose levels, you’ll be able to live a happy, erectile dysfunction life for many, many years.

Erectile dysfunction isn’t just a standard, catchall medical issue. It comes in various forms of severity, and these various forms of severity are going to have varying issues. If you find you occasionally miss an erection, you wouldn’t have the same issues as a man who’s found he can no longer achieve an erection.

When you decide to consult a doctor about your ED, he’s going to quiz you on your issue in an attempt to ascertain the level of severity. If you want to be ahead of the game and be prepared for the questions your doctor is going to ask, here are some of the most commonly asked questions used for diagnosing ED severity.

Did your ED begin suddenly or develop gradually?: This will give your doctor a better idea of how your ED began. ED that began suddenly may indicate that there could be something wrong with you internally, while a gradual development could indicate mental issues causing your ED.

Do you wake up with an erection?: This question is important. If you’re capable of waking up with “morning wood” (to use the parlance of our times), then your erectile dysfunction isn’t physically caused.

Is penetration difficult 50%, 75%, or 100% of the time?: With this question, the doctor can begin to gauge the severity of your ED. Depending on your answer, your doctor can begin to figure out how serious your ED has become.

Do you experience any urinary issues?: Having trouble holding your urine? Do you find yourself using the restroom frequently? This could indicate that you’re having issues with your urinary tract, which could contribute to your ED.

Erectile dysfunction. It can strike seemingly at any time, leaving even the manliest man brought low by the loss of his erection. All men fear losing their virility, and this fear is compounded by the fact that most men really aren’t sure what causes erectile dysfunction. Some men have heard whispers that too much masturbation can lead to ED, while others swear a poor diet will do your erection in.

Let’s set the record straight. Here are some of the most common causes for ED:

Stress: Boss riding you at work? Feeling like you’re not providing for your family? Feel like there just isn’t enough time in the day? Stress can come from many factors, and it can weigh heavily on a man’s mind. So heavily, in fact, that it can begin to affect a man physically. When a man is preoccupied by stress, the body may struggle to keep an erection.

Depression: Like stress, depression can feel overwhelming. Even if everything in your life is going great, depression can throw a serious damper over it all, leading to you struggling from day-to-day. Depression can be caused by outside factors, or it could be caused by internal factors. However it rears it’s ugly head, it can lead to the body missing erections.

Weight gain: If you’ve been packing on the pounds, you may see your erection pay the price. As the body puts on weight, the blood vessels begin to narrow, seriously hampering blood flow. When blood can’t flow through the body quickly, it will struggle to get blood to your lower extremities, leading to missed erections.

Medical: Erectile dysfunction can be a warning sign of something even worse. Heart problems, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries have all been found to be related to ED. If you’re erectile dysfunction becomes severe, consult a doctor to find out if it’s a red flag for something deadly.

Like a monster in your closet, older men feel like erectile dysfunction is looming just around the corner, waiting to strike. It’s a fact of life that your body is going to undergo some serious changes as you age, including tightening of the joints, decreased hearing, and, eventually, the loss of your erection.

Yes, the day will come when your body isn’t able to get blood down south quite as quickly as it used to, which will lead to it’s fair share of missed erections.

But when is the dreaded ED going to finally strike? When can you expect to lose your erection?

Ultimately, the age you begin to lose the ability to achieve an erection is entirely dependent upon your life choices. Men who stay physically active, eat well, don’t smoke, and practice moderation with alcohol tend to be healthier internally. Thus, vascular problems, such as reduced blood flow, which leads to ED, aren’t as likely to strike early. A healthy man could be well into his 80’s before he finds he isn’t able to get it up like he used to.

But for men who haven’t always eaten kale salads and ran 5-minute miles, ED tends to come up a bit earlier. Research has found that most men tend to experience ED around 65, with the percentage of men reporting suffering from ED climbing from 65 on.

If you’re looking to delay the inevitable, live well and be healthy, and you won’t have to worry about erectile dysfunction for many, many years.