For those dealing with erectile dysfunction, their teeth are the last place they would think to look for the cause. However, as we’re discovering more and more each day the body is incredibly synergistic.
Studies have shown a link between chronic periodontitis, a disease of the mouth wherein the periodontal tissues are chronically inflamed, and erectile dysfunction.
Researchers conducting a meta-study of all erectile dysfunction studies uncovered a link between the two afflictions with relative ease, reporting that every study examined displayed a positive connection between the two.
The connection is so certain that researchers recommend that doctors treating patients for erectile dysfunction also refer their patients to a dentist for evaluation.
Further studies reveal that men with ED were as much as 79 percent more likely to have periodontal disease.
The cause is actually quite intuitive.
Chronic periodontal disease causes inflammation in the body, and chronic inflammation damages endothelial cells in the body. These are the cells that form the lining of every blood vessel in your body, including the penis.
Thus, chronic periodontal disease can lead to disrupted blood flow throughout the body, including the penis, and good blood flow is sort of a prerequisite for an erection.
The good news is that for most cases, and if caught early, periodontal disease is easily treatable, and unlike more severe causes of erectile dysfunction, can be reversed with a few good cleanings at the dentist’s office.
However, for those with more severe cases, surgery may be necessary in order to restore the gums to health and restore the effects, such as bone loss and pockets of bacteria.
Erectile dysfunction can be an indicator of a vast array of more serious ailments and can even reliably predict a cardiovascular episode like a heart attack, so don’t ignore the signs. If you see something, say something, and then head to the dentist and get those chompers looked at.
Finding out you’ve got erectile dysfunction is difficult enough, but finding out that this seemingly benign enough disorder can actually be a sign of worse things to come can be downright devastating news.
Well, unfortunately, this is exactly what some recent studies are discovering.
Researchers are finding that erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share some of the same risk factors, and frequently coexist. Studies show that 70 percent of men with cardiovascular disease also have erectile dysfunction.
While this information is somewhat disturbing, the real bombshell is that studies also show that “In addition, clinical studies have demonstrated that ED in men with no known CVD often precedes a CVD event by 2-5 years.”
This means that erectile dysfunction often comes before some sort of cardiovascular event like a heart attack. Cardiovascular disease is often related to plaque buildup in the arteries, and this same plaque buildup can cause erectile dysfunction. Thus, erectile dysfunction can “help provide a window of opportunity for CVD risk mitigation.”
Especially in men between the ages of 30 and 60, erectile dysfunction can alert doctors to the possible presence of CVD, and more importantly, provide an opportunity to prevent the impending CVD event.
While receiving the news that you’ve not only got erectile dysfunction and may also have cardiovascular disease is not pleasant, it can absolutely save your life, making the connections gleaned in these studies invaluable to millions of men across the globe.
Erectile dysfunction is not only harmful to your self-esteem, it can be an indication of a more serious issue, so it remains paramount that those suffering from erectile dysfunction closely monitor symptoms and duration, as it could lead to a cardiovascular episode.
