Have you recently had trouble maintaining or getting an erection? Are you worried that you may be suffering from male impotence, otherwise known as erectile dysfunction?

Studies have shown that one in ten men in the United States suffer from erectile dysfunction. While that's a large number of men in itself, what's even more astounding is that of those men, almost half never realize they're suffering from it. It's easy to see why a man might try his hardest to ignore the signs in front of him-no one wants to admit to anyone, let alone himself, that he possibly has impotence after all. Still, it's important that all men recognize the signs which may point toward ED as the underlying causes may require immediate medical attention.

There is no single medical test which can be performed to determine whether or not a man is suffering from ED. Like many dysfunctions, the total combination of symptoms and possible causes have to be evaluated by a trained professional to determine if you're suffering from impotence or a more serious issue.

Obviously the main symptom and sign of erectile dysfunction is the inability to maintain or achieve an erection. Even if you're unable to achieve an erection, however, you may not be suffering from the condition, as there are a number of other reasons both physiological and psychological which may be causing your problems.

One of the simplest ways to deduce if your problem is physical or something else is to monitor the activity of your nocturnal erections. If your night time erections are occurring without any problems your issue is likely a psychological one and not something physical.

In fact, the biggest warning sign of impotency in men is never having an erection. If you ever have an erection, that's a surefire sign that you're not suffering from erectile dysfunction. Even if your erections last for less than a minute and occur only every other day, the mere act of having one instantly points the cause of your erectile issues you may be suffering from to other sources. A variety of other influences including aging, recent surgery, hormonal disorders, arterial damage, psychological issues, alcohol, drugs, obesity, cigarette smoking, obesity, and more can be the cause of your problems, and most of them can be easily treated and diagnosed by visiting a doctor.

If you find yourself having trouble maintaining or getting erect but aren't suffering from erectile dysfunction, it's important you notify your doctor at your next visit so they can run tests to make sure it's the effect of stress, aging, or psychological causes and not something more serious.