Does smoking affect sexual function? Men's health experts say so!

Some young men find that their sexual function has declined, but they can't find an obvious reason. In fact, there are many reasons for the decline in sexual function, such as unhealthy diet, staying up late, sitting for a long time and other bad living habits. According to experts, men's long-term smoking and drinking will also seriously affect their sexual function.

1. Is smoking harmful to sexual function?

Smoking affects male sexual function. Nicotine in cigarettes has a strong vasoconstrictive effect. Nicotine enters the blood circulation through the lungs and can cause vasoconstriction, resulting in a decrease in blood supply to all systems in the body. This also happens to the penile arterial system, resulting in a decrease in penile blood flow, thus affecting sexual function.

2. Does smoking cause impotence?

Smoking inhibits plasma testosterone levels, leading to a decrease in sexual desire. In addition, nicotine dilates blood vessels, which affects penile erection. Long-term smoking also damages the cardiovascular system. Therefore, the probability of impotence among smokers is much higher than that of the general population.

3. Does smoking affect sperm?

Long-term smoking has a significant impact on sperm production and maturation. Nicotine in cigarettes has the greatest impact on the number, vitality, and morphology of sperm. The longer you smoke, the greater the damage to sperm production and motility, leading to a higher chance of sperm deformity. The number of normal sperm will also continue to decrease, and sperm motility will decline.

4. Is smoking harmful to erectile function?

The occurrence, development speed and duration of penile erection depend on the blood flow rate of the penile artery, the degree of relaxation of the cavernous body smooth muscle and the closing function of the penile vein. Nicotine in cigarettes will affect the contraction of the penile arterial wall and cavernous body smooth muscle, leading to narrowing of the arterial lumen and cavernous sinus, insufficient blood perfusion, and thus slow and weak penile erection. At the same time, it will also cause the closing mechanism of the penile venous system to be impaired, resulting in a shortened erection duration.