Can Stress Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

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Is stress causing your erectile dysfunction? Here's what you need to know.

Last Updated: 10/17/2023

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There are a variety of factors that can contribute to erectile dysfunction. One of the most common causes of erectile dysfunction is mental stress, which can have a significant impact on a man's ability to achieve and maintain an erection.

A rough day at work, financial problems, taking care of an elderly relative, or dealing with stressful situations involving your kids are all types of personal and professional stress that carry over into the bedroom and impact your sex life as well as your mental health.

If you're experiencing erectile dysfunction and suspect that stress may be the culprit, it's important to understand how stress affects your body and what you can do to manage it.

In this article, we'll explore the relationship between stress and sexual dysfunction and provide you with some tips and strategies for reducing stress and improving your sexual health. Whether you're struggling with occasional or chronic erectile dysfunction, this article is a must-read for men looking to take control of their sexual health and well-being.

Let's dive in and discover how stress may be impacting your ability to perform in the bedroom.

Causes of Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

ED is a common condition that can be caused by a variety of factors, including physical, psychological, and lifestyle related.

Physical factors that can lead to ED include diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction include stress, anxiety, and depression.

Certain lifestyle factors that can lead to experiencing ED include smoking, alcohol use, and drug use.

The Link between Stress and Erectile Dysfunction

Psychological erectile dysfunction is often part of the body’s physical response to stress, which is one of the most common causes of ED.

When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol, one of the stress hormones, which can cause your blood vessels to constrict and reduce blood flow to your penis. Reduced blood flow to the penis can make it difficult to achieve or maintain an erection.

Cortisol is known to raise blood pressure and blood sugar levels as well as cause infertility. It’s definitely not a friend to your sex life. Higher cortisol levels correspond to worse scores on the International Index of erectile function (IIEF).1

When a man becomes stressed, it boosts the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which blocks erections.1 It also suppresses the parasympathetic nervous system, which is involved in erections.1

Because of these effects on the body, reducing stress is a great way to treat erectile dysfunction.

In addition, stress plays a role in psychological issues such as anxiety and depression, which can further exacerbate ED. In addition, being stressed can reduce sexual desire and libido.

Mental health conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder and suffering from an anxiety disorder are more serious forms of mental health issues. We address those types of stress and anxiety in other blog posts, as well as sexual performance anxiety, which is a type of anxiety directly related to how you feel about sex.

Stress Impacts Your Cardiovascular and Sexual Health

Scientists have known for awhile now that there’s a connection between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular health. ED often shows up years before cardio problems.2 Making matters worse, being under chronic stress can wreak havoc on your heart, arteries, and blood vessels.

Chronic stress can lead to the development of heart disease and trigger worsening of disease in people who already have a lot of atherosclerotic plaque.3 Plaque on the arteries leads to blocked blood flow and is a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.

Stress and anxiety also can affect heart rhythm, lead to high blood pressure, and increase inflammation.3 These things are good for neither cardiovascular health nor sexual function.

Scientists have found that chronic stress is as much a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as are high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and obesity.4 Chances are good that if stress is affecting your cardiovascular system, it’s affecting your erectile function, too.

Signs that Chronic Stress is Causing Your Erectile Dysfunction

If you're experiencing erectile dysfunction and suspect that stress may be the culprit, there are some signs to look out for.

For example, have you experienced any highly stressful event lately such as job loss, moving, a major illness in your family, financial problems, or other experiences that make you feel stressed? Chances are good that if you’re having problems with sexual function during one of those events your stress is to blame.

Erectile dysfunction itself can cause stress and anxiety, which in turn can make your ED worse, creating a vicious circle.

Stress-Reduction Techniques for Stress-Induced Erectile Dysfunction

If major stress and anxiety is causing your sexual dysfunctions, you can try some alternative treatments to address psychological factors. These alternative treatments can help you relax, which can improve your sexual health. Natural remedies for stress can double as an ED treatment.

Here are some of the most effective stress-reduction techniques:

Meditation

Mindfulness meditation may help men with erectile dysfunction related to stress and anxiety disorders. A review of the science showed that meditation leads to small to moderate improvements in the negative effects of psychological stress.5

In addition, a small pilot study found that mindfulness meditation may help reduce erectile dysfunction.6

Meditation can keep you focused on the moment rather than letting stress distract you from sexual pleasure. That means it can help with sexual performance anxiety, too.

Yoga

Yoga is a popular way to feel more relaxed and address major stress. Research shows that yoga has a calming effect, including one review of medical studies that found yoga reduced several measures of stress including evening cortisol, waking cortisol, ambulatory systolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate.7

Other research found that college students experienced reduced stress and anxiety levels after completing a six-week yoga and meditation program preceding final examinations.8

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing can have a soothing effect that lowers stress and anxiety and improves mood.8 It also can reduce heart rate and cortisol levels.9 It may be beneficial in men whose ED has psychological causes.

Stress-Management Programs

Participating in a stress-reduction program can calm you down and improve erections. In one study of 31 newly diagnosed men with ED, aged between 20 and 55 years, the men were given either the ED medication tadalafil or they were given tadalafil and participated in an eight-week stress-management program.10

Both groups of men experienced statistically significant improvement of erectile function scores. However, the men practicing stress reduction had a statistically significant reduction in perceived stress score compared with men receiving tadalafil alone.

In addition, the stress reduction group had lower cortisol levels compared with the control group after eight weeks.

Essential Oils

The use of essential oils, such as lavender and rose, can help reduce stress and anxiety levels. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recognizes lavender essential oil as a herbal medicine to improve stress and anxiety.11

Some animal research and clinical studies in humans have found that lavender can reduce anxiety and depression and improve the stress response.11

Better Sleep

Not getting enough sleep makes it difficult to cope with stressful situations. Using any of the stress-reduction strategies mentioned in this article can improve sleep.

For example, studies have shown that aromatherapy using lavender and other essential oils can soothe away stress and improve sleep quality in adults and the elderly.12 In addition, the herbal remedy valerian also may improve sleep.13

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This type of stress-relief technique can reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep. It involves tightening one muscle group at a time, and then releasing the muscles to relieve tension. Muscles are tensed and then relaxed at the lower part of the body, moving up to the stomach, chest, and face.14

Exercise

Exercising is a great way to feel calmer and more relaxed. Research has shown it can reduce stress and anxiety in people with stress-related or anxiety disorders.15

Bonus: exercise not only reduces stress, it also improves erections, especially aerobic exercise with moderate-to-vigorous intensity.16 Time your exercise routine so that it’s not too close to bedtime, otherwise the energizing effect could keep you awake.

Natural Stress Relievers

Several natural herbal remedies can cause stress levels to plummet. Ashwagandha is one of those remedies. In animal and human studies, it had sigificant anti-stress and anti-anxiety activity.17

Ginseng is a botanical that can protect the body against the negative effects of stress.18 What’s more, some studies show it may also get rid of erectile dysfunction.18

Communication with Your Partner

If your ED is related to relationship stress, honest communication with your partner is important and may resolve the conflict. The two of you can visit a professional therapist to work out any issues in the relationship, which will improve physical intimacy.

Reducing Drug and Alcohol Use

For some people, it’s tempting to turn to alcohol and drugs during times of stress. Excessive alcohol consumption will only make matters worse, as it won’t solve the root cause of your stress and may even cause erectile dysfunction.

Drug use can also lead to sexual dysfunction. Instead, talk things over with a mental health professional and find healthier ways to cope with stress.

Professional Therapy for Stress-Related ED

If you’re having trouble coping with stress on your own, visiting a professional therapist can be good for your mental outlook, which in turn will improve your sexual health. You can get a referral from your healthcare provider.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stress and Erectile Dysfunction

Can Stress Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Mental stress is one of the most common causes of ED. Chronic stress leads to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and high cortisol levels are linked to erectile dysfunction. Stress also increases sympathetic nervous activity, which gets in the way of healthy erections. Stress also causes problems with the cardiovascular system, which in turn are linked to erectile dysfunction.

How Do I Know If I Have Erectile Dysfunction From Stress?

Are you experiencing a lot of stress lately from events like job loss, moving, a major illness in your family, financial problems, or other anxious experiences? Chances are good that if you’re having erectile dysfunction, your stress is to blame. An on-going stressful event also can make pre-existing ED worse.

Erectile dysfunction itself can cause stress, which in turn can make your ED worse, creating a vicious circle.