Impotence
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI

Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care Physician)

Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Nao Saito, MD

Nao Saito, MD (Urology)

After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.

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Content updated on Mar 7, 2024

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✔︎  When to see a doctor

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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Inability to maintain an erection

  • Difficulty keeping erection

  • My penis is not standing

  • Trouble getting erection

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About the Symptom

Erectile dysfunction or impotence describes consistent and recurrent inability to achieve or maintain an erection firm enough for sex.

When to see a doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

  • Numbness / sensory disorder

  • double vision

  • Headache

  • Abnormal sensation (tingling, prickling)

  • Difficulty breathing / breathlessness

  • Muscle weakness in the limbs

Possible Causes

Generally, Impotence can be related to:

  • Idiopathic erectile dysfunction

    Idiopathic erectile dysfunction is a sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or remain erect during sexual activity. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown.

  • Depression

    Depression is a mental illness that leads to low mood, reduced energy levels, and changes in sleep. This affects everyday activities like attending school and work. As the condition worsens, patients might have suicidal thoughts. Although stress and past trauma can cause depression, it can take time to identify and address causes, and genetic factors may also be at play.

  • Bipolar disorder

    A disorder marked by extreme and persistent shifts in mood that last for weeks to months, from periods of sustained depression to periods of elevated mood and euphoria. The precise cause is unclear, but genetic and environmental factors contribute.

  • Familial amyloid polyneuropathy
  • Prostate cancer
  • Adjustment disorder
  • Pituitary adenoma
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Striatal substantia nigra degeneration
  • Cushing syndrome

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

  • Are you worried about your sexual performance because you can't get or keep an erection for sex?

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Find Similar Symptoms

Symptoms from similar body parts

References

  • Irwin GM. Erectile Dysfunction. Prim Care. 2019 Jun;46(2):249-255. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2019.02.006. Epub 2019 Apr 1. PMID: 31030826.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095454319300090?via%3Dihub

  • Shamloul R, Ghanem H. Erectile dysfunction. Lancet. 2013 Jan 12;381(9861):153-65. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60520-0. Epub 2012 Oct 5. PMID: 23040455.

    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60520-0/fulltext

  • Mobley DF, Khera M, Baum N. Recent advances in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Postgrad Med J. 2017 Nov;93(1105):679-685. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2016-134073. Epub 2017 Jul 27. PMID: 28751439.

    https://pmj.bmj.com/content/93/1105/679

  • Ludwig W, Phillips M. Organic causes of erectile dysfunction in men under 40. Urol Int. 2014;92(1):1-6. doi: 10.1159/000354931. Epub 2013 Nov 21. PMID: 24281298.

    https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/354931

  • Erectile dysfunction (impotence)

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/erection-problems-erectile-dysfunction/

Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care Physician)

Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Nao Saito, MD

Nao Saito, MD (Urology)

After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.

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