Is There a Link Between Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Diabetes?

Have you been diagnosed with diabetes or are considered pre-diabetic? Are you concerned about erectile dysfunction or starting to experience the symptoms of ED?

Around 50% of men will experience ED at some point in their life, and roughly 10% of men in Canada are living with diabetes, so there’s definitely overlap in these conditions.

Together diabetes and ED can both drastically impact your daily quality of life, so if you’re wondering how these two conditions are connected, this page is for you.

If you’d like to talk to a healthcare practitioner at Felix about erectile dysfunction (ED) treatments, and whether they could be right for you, all you have to do is complete an assessment to get started.

Can Diabetes Cause ED?

There’s an increased risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED), as well as other cardiovascular conditions when you’re diabetic.

Therefore, yes. Diabetes can cause ED in some people.

About ED (Erectile Dysfunction) and Diabetes

Increased blood sugar over long periods of time can affect your body’s ability to effectively move blood to the penis, due to something called microvascular damage.

Also, over time increased blood sugar can damage the nerves in your body, which can cause additional difficulties for you in developing an erection.

So, for some people, there’s a direct relationship between diabetes and their ED symptoms.

If you’re diabetic and experiencing erectile dysfunction, and you’d like to discuss possible ED pills safe for diabetics, don’t hesitate to talk to one of Felix’s healthcare practitioners.

They’ll be able to assess whether ED medications could be a possible treatment option for you, based on your health and medical history.

How Common is ED in Diabetics?

A large study recently showed that 52% of men over the age of 40 are experiencing some degree of ED.

Unfortunately, there haven’t been any studies that directly correlate the specific percentage of men with diabetes experiencing ED symptoms.

However, we can assume that roughly half of the men with diabetes are also experiencing some form of ED; even if the symptoms may not be caused directly or entirely by their diabetes.

How to Overcome ED with Diabetes

While there is no cure for ED due to diabetes, there are some ED solutions for diabetics that may be able to help reduce the severity of their symptoms.

Managing your diabetes first, as well as managing your blood sugars over time, is the best treatment for erectile dysfunction with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This will help reduce further ongoing microvascular and nerve damage to your body due to increased blood sugars.

If you’re already treating your diabetes, and you have stable blood sugar levels but are still experiencing the symptoms of ED, you may want to consider completing an assessment with a practitioner from Felix.

How to Get ED Treatment for Diabetics

The safest way to get ED help for diabetics is to simply talk to a healthcare practitioner.

You can arrange to speak with your primary care doctor, or you can book a short online assessment with Felix, at your convenience.

When Should I Talk to My Healthcare Practitioner About ED Treatments?

Before discussing your ED symptoms with a practitioner from Felix it may be a good idea to talk to your family physician or an in-person practitioner to help determine the possible causes of your ED symptoms.

An in-person consultation can help you understand the causes of your erectile dysfunction, as well as how it can best be treated based on these underlying causes. In addition to the physical exam, they may suggest blood work, which can help identify underlying causes like diabetes.

Felix doesn’t provide blood work referrals specifically for erectile dysfunction, or offer physical examinations. However, we’d be happy to have a discreet, judgment-free conversation with you about what erectile dysfunction treatment options might be right for you.

Get started today with a short online assessment. With Felix in your corner, you can take back control of your health and your sex life, so that you can get back to living life on your terms - the way that it should be.