There’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to erections.
See, every “stiffy” you produce takes concerted efforts from your circulatory, endocrine, mood regulation, and central nervous systems to work simultaneously in a series of complex events.
When all the systems your body needs to produce erections are firing on all cylinders, that makes for healthy, firm, and long-lasting erections. After all, a fully-erect penis can absorb as much as 8x the usual amount of blood. However, a misplaced reaction in that chain of events can cause erectile dysfunction (ED).
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What are the primary phases of an erection?
The penis is made up of four main parts: the head (glans), shaft, base, and foreskin. The head houses the urethral opening (also known as the meatus). The shaft contains two tubes running down the entire length of the penis. These tubes are called the corpora cavernosa. The corpora cavernosa contains soft and spongy penile tissue as well as plenty of blood vessels to facilitate an erection. The same is true for the corpus spongiosum, which is located under the penis, covering the urethra.
Erections are a physical response to chemical reactions in the body – and the clearest indication of sexual arousal.
When you’re sexually aroused, the numerous blood vessels in the penis widen to allow more blood to flow in. The spongy tissues in the penis take in blood to produce an erection. After climax and ejaculation, or when sexual arousal wears off, the blood flows out of the spongy tissue. This leads to the penis returning to its flaccid size and state.
How do erections work?
Erections are produced as a result of a series of complex processes that begin with the brain’s responses to sexual arousal, leading all the way down to the penis to produce an erection.
Here’s a quick rundown on how erections work:
- Men respond to sexually arousing stimuli such as touch, imagination, sight, or anything they find sexually stimulating.
- The brain receives those arousal signals through the central nervous system, particularly the nerves and spinal cord.
- Cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP, an enzyme, causes the penis – particularly the corpora cavernosa – to relax, enabling copious amounts of blood to flow into the cavernosal blood vessels.
- As blood flows into the penis, the blood vessels responsible for draining blood from the penis are compressed, trapping the rush of blood in the penis to produce an erection,
- Phosphodiesterase-5, or PDE5, another enzyme, breaks down cGMP, which causes the penis to return to its normal, flaccid size – thereby ending the erection process.
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
What should I do if I can’t produce an erection?
If you can’t produce or keep an erection firm enough or long enough to enjoy pleasurable, vigorous sex, then you might have erectile dysfunction (ED). ED can be an indicator of a more serious underlying health condition, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, or low T. If you suspect you have ED, consult your healthcare provider to determine the cause of your ED as well as your treatment options.
