THYROID: A COMMON CAUSE OF ED
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Thyroid is a small gland located near the bottom of the neck which secretes a number of hormones that influence the function of many organs. Scientists have acknowledged the connection between various thyroid diseases and erectile dysfunction. There are two types of thyroid diseases found commonly in men;

• Hyperthyroidism: when thyroid gland is over productive
• Hypothyroidism: when the thyroid gland is underproductive

Patients with both of these thyroid problems experience erectile dysfunction. To confirm this, researchers from the University of Modena, Italy undertook a study on 50 men in adulthood who were suffering from either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Each of the respondents were asked about their quality of sexual function using a questionnaire as well as direct questions by a doctor regarding problems of erectile dysfunction and other related sexual problems.

The research findings showed that over 63% of men with hypothyroidism were suffering from problems like low libido, premature ejaculation, and delayed ejaculation. Men who had hyperthyroidism, 50% had the problem of premature ejaculation, when 17% with low sexual drive and 15 % were diagnosed with erectile dysfunction.

Patients, who treated themselves for hyperthyroidism, soon got rid of erectile dysfunction.

The authors of this study wrote in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolis,that they demonstrated for the first time that specific sexual disorders occur frequently in males with hypo and hyper thyroid function and that most of these symptoms disappear promptly as the thyroid disease is treated.

However, the relationship between thyroid diseases and erectile dysfunction is not yet discovered. But from the findings, we can make out that ageing does not actually play so important a role in erectile dysfunction, as thyroid diseases and ED is more common in men above 60. The authors of the study emphasize much more on thyroid problems than on ageing while diagnosing the reason of erectile dysfunction.

This logic was strengthened by the findings of another study by Veronelli and colleagues in which the rate of erectile dysfunction was compared among healthy, older men against men with diabetes or thyroid diseases. The study determined that thyroid problems caused erectile dysfunction more often than simple ageing.

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