Symptoms of Poor Blood Flow. Vasculogenic Impotence
// October 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Impotence
Impotence caused by failure to fill due to hardening of the arteries is a reflection of inadequate blood flow to the penis. Only rarely is this process confined to just the arteries carrying blood to the genitals. An inadequate supply of oxygenated blood anywhere in the body creates its own set of distinctive symptoms.
Deprived of oxygen, the brain cannot think well, the kidneys stop making urine, and muscles cry out in pain. Angina pectoris is the term used to describe oxygen deprivation to the heart muscles. Claudication describes insufficient blood flow to other muscles.
Oxygen demand is activity dependent. A muscle at rest requires a minimal blood supply, whereas an active muscle demands a rich supply of oxygenated arterial blood. Muscles cramp when they do not receive adequate oxygen. This may be apparent only when the muscle is challenged by exercise. Consider what happened to Warren.
Warren at age sixty-eight was no longer able to achieve an erection. He maintained that he was physically fit and cited as proof the fact that he played eighteen holes of golf two to three times a week. When pressed, he did admit that his actual exercise was limited because a motorized golf cart, rather than his legs, was his source of transportation on the course. Only when he sliced a shot into the woods did he extend his exercise. Unfortunately, the last few times he prowled around the woods, he developed such severe leg cramps that he was forced to sit down and rest. Symptoms of claudication reflecting inadequate blood flow became manifest only when Warren was forced to expand his range of activity.
Similar information can be obtained from nongolfers by simply asking them how far they actually walk each day and whether they can push themselves and extend that activity without experiencing any discomfort in their legs or buttocks.
When impotence and muscular cramps in the legs coincide, it is likely that an artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the legs and pelvis is obstructed. Men suffering from these obstructions not only experience an inability to achieve an erection but also find that they cannot walk as far as they used to. Walking for any duration causes the muscles of their legs or buttocks to cramp. When the man notices the association between cramps and vigorous walking, he will gradually, almost imperceptibly, adjust his activity. Once he restricts his walking, leg cramps and pains no longer trouble him. When questioned, he can say honestly that he does not now have pain when he walks. A physician trying to make a diagnosis must often pursue this issue with some diligence.
