Alcohol is known to effectively lower a person's inhibitions. It is because of this effect that alcohol is also believed to bring out one's sexuality, increase one's sex drive, and even improve one's sexual performance. The truth of this, however, cannot be actually verified. Although, one thing is for sure about alcohol and its effects on a man's system. Too much alcohol intake or excessive alcoholism can eventually result to impotence or erectile dysfunction. Simply put, this is a man's inability to achieve an erection when sexually stimulated. It is not, therefore, always true that alcohol increases or improves one's sexual performance. When alcohol intake is already too much, it can have the opposite effect on a man's functioning. Moreover, when excessive alcoholism happens for a long period of time, it can eventually cause harm in the neural components in different parts of the body including the reproductive organ. When neural pathways are the ones damaged, it can cause a more severe and permanent effect such as chronic impotence.

To be able to understand how excessive alcohol influences the physiology of an erection, it is necessary to first understand what occurs in a man's body when an erection happens. The process all starts with a certain stimulant or a combination of various components causing a man to feel stimulated. The source of stimulation can either be something that is seen (visual), heard (auditory), felt (tactile), smelled (olfactory), or a mixture of any or all those factors. The brain processes this information, causes a release of certain hormones or neurotransmitters that will then trigger some activities to occur within one's body. These activities include the dilation of nerves in a man's penis which allows the blood flow to reach that area. The surge of blood results to what is commonly known as an erection. Technically, it is the contraction of the muscles located within that area. Some mechanisms also control the maintenance of this occurrence to make it last for a certain period of time. The maintenance of an erection is as important as its initialization during situations like sexual intercourse. However, that will no longer be included in this discussion.

A better understanding of the physiology of an erection can help in a better understanding of the physiology of erectile dysfunction or impotence. Impotence results when any of the processes mentioned earlier necessary for achieving an erection is disrupted by certain, varying factors. In the case of alcoholism as a cause of erectile dysfunction, it is only important to understand the effects of alcohol to any person. Excessive alcohol causes intoxication and temporarily impairs the functioning of the brain. Since the brain primarily controls the functioning of other parts of the body, a partial impairment within the brain can also be manifested in other parts of the body. This, then, can include a man's ability to achieve an erection or to maintain an erection for a desired length of time. On the other hand, when the level of alcohol intake is only at a low or moderate amount, it may have good effects such as a decrease in the inhibition level of a person which is sometimes needed especially during situations when one has to forget or remove his or her fear and anxiety.

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