The Guide to a Man’s Physiology
What happens to a guy when he is aroused physically? This is important to know, particularly if there’s a problem with erection. Both physical or psychological stimuli can (and should be able to) lead to an erection. Vasodilation occurs and blood flow is directed into the penis along the 2 large corpora cavernosa and the one area around the urethra called the corpos spongiosum. When a man has diabetes or blood pressure problems, this can compromise the blood flow and a man won’t get the same response he used to. If testosterone is low, it’s a little more complex (see testosterone section), but remember that if there’s a problem with your body, it generally innately can guide itself back to happy homeostasis with multiple erections a day for all, given the tools the body needs to get there. Research has demonstrated that men get an average of 11 erections per day and 4 per night, with or without anything happening in their external environment. I mean, imagine that study…
Tip – If you have erectile dysfunction and you want to know if it’s physical or mental, the answer lies in your REM sleep. Lightly tape a piece of paper around your penis. When you enter REM sleep, you should have that vascular engorge and break the lightly taped paper. If you have a morning erection, this also points to more of a mentally involved problem, although a change in the quality in this morning greeter can indicate low testosterone and physical problems.
All this blood flow continues and the head of the penis will engorge, turn a deeper color and testicles, (where all this lovely testosterone is surging out of), can temporarily grow by up to 50%. That’s a happy time for Leydig cells in the testicles because they are flooded with all kinds of nutrients, oxygen and leutenizing hormone from the pituitary in the brain that all basically tells the pelvic area, “This is good; we should do this more often”. As in females, (and amplified by the some of the botanicals in Hot Chocolate), pelvic floor circulation increases throughout making everything more alert, active and sensitive. This includes the prostate, which will contract and force fluid through the pumps to give sperm an easier, well fed ride into the great unknown. This is orgasm; physically and neurochemically there are all kinds of things going on! If this doesn’t happen and the man’s partner has a headache for the night, the poor guy may have to deal with some pain from his testicles complaining about the lack of momentum in his sex life. As a physician, I do not recommend this. Actually, post-orgasm headaches are three times more likely to happen in men than women. This is very efficient of men, really, but know too that that can be treated… and should be.
As with women, there is a release of prolactin (which then sensitizes the testosterone producing Leyhdig cells to make more receptors and be more productive with testosterone), and oxytocin. Oxytocin is your love chemical in your brain in combination with vasopressin (see “Science of Falling in Love” section) Men also can roll over and go to sleep with a smile at this point whereas sometimes women cannot because we have to get ready for carrying a baby (although if the man did his homework, she should be feeling the love too).
Erectile Dysfunction Causes:
I’m sorry men, you still can’t be as complicated as women, but I’ll give you a short list of reasons you can be having problems.
Mental Contributors:
- Too much inside pressure: Self esteem issues, performance anxiety, fears of all kinds, relationship issues, depression
- Boredom – consider balancing your brain because sex/reproduction is arguably the biggest motivator & source of dopamine
- Porn Addiction: may lead to ED and inability to have real sex – Abstaining from porn (not masturbation, just porn) will reverse the cognitive loops developed with screens and obscure sex scenes. Not only can you regain attraction to your mate and function, you will also focus better in your daily life as neurotransmission changes.
Physical Contributors:
- Too much outside pressure grip, small condom
- Obesity – did you know abdominal fat is an endocrine organ that produces estrogen?
- Alcohol
- Prostate Issues
- Poor Circulation
- Decreased hormone production
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