Defined as experiencing difficulty having an erection at least 50 percent of the time, about 30 million men in the U.S. suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), according to the National Institutes of Health. So, if odds are pretty good you’ll experience a failure to launch at some point in your life, take solace in this finding from the University of Adelaide: You can reverse ED by focusing on lifestyle factors, not just popping a blue pill. 
Dr. Paul Gittens, a board certified urologist, sexual medicine expert, and director of Philadelphia Center for Sexual Medicine adds, “ED is a complex bag of worms, but people can try to decrease their risk, or at least stop the progression of it with diet and exercise, in addition to determining and eliminating their risk factors." We scoured the latest research to uncover habits preventing you from getting a hard on, and consulted with Gittens on how to get on track—so you can get your, well, hard on, back.
Dr. Paul Gittens, a board certified urologist, sexual medicine expert, and director of Philadelphia Center for Sexual Medicine adds, “ED is a complex bag of worms, but people can try to decrease their risk, or at least stop the progression of it with diet and exercise, in addition to determining and eliminating their risk factors." We scoured the latest research to uncover habits preventing you from getting a hard on, and consulted with Gittens on how to get on track—so you can get your, well, hard on, back.1. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that men with severe erectile dysfunction had considerably lower vitamin D levels than men with mild ED. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine while you can, and feast on vitamin D-fortified cereals, juices, and breads, along with foods like eggs and salmon.
2.BOOZE
Ah, booze: you giveth us the self-confidence to talk to potential sexual partners with one hand, and taketh away boners with the other. While chronic heavy drinking can lead to chronic erectile dysfunction, even one night of hitting the sauce too hard can make it difficult to maintain or achieve an erection.Stiffy Solution: Luckily, alcohol-induced impotence (also known by the infinitely less classy alias "whiskey d*ck") is a totally temporary condition, one that should clear up as soon as your dude can once again walk a straight line and recite the alphabet backwards. If your dude has consistent erectile problems from consistently drinking too much, however, he should consider cutting down on the sauce, and possibly talking with a doctor.
3. RECREATIONAL DRUGS
You may already know that lots of hard drugs — like cocaine, heroin, or Oxycontin — can cause sexual problems (though, quite frankly, if you're on cocaine, heroin, or Oxycontin, you have many more pressing concerns to deal with than getting dirrrty). But did you know that sometimes, even pot can inhibit erections? And you thought weed was just a harmless way to enjoy the musical stylings of Pink Floyd. Who knew it could actually mess with one's own pink floyd?
Stiffy Solution: There's only one fix here, alas — sober up (and if your dude now has to admit that The Wall is unbearable to listen to while sober, well, that's just the price he'll have to pay).
4. EXHAUSTION
Being chronically overtired impacts everything, including your sex drive and your ability to become aroused. Dudes grappling with insomnia, or dealing with punishing work or school schedules that leave them barely any time to sleep, may find the inability to pop a chub added to their many burdens.Stiffy Solution: Frustratingly enough, the only solution to exhaustion-based impotence is to get some rest, which is obviously difficult (or your dude wouldn't be having this problem in the first place). But if your guy has been resistant to getting help for his insomnia or asking for different hours at work, the inability to get his nine iron out on the putting green might be the thing that finally motivates him to make a life change. So, at least there's that.
5. CERTAIN MEDICATION
Just as certain meds can make it difficult for men to have an orgasm, some can keep the flagpole from even getting raised in the first place. Anti-depressant medications like Prozac and Zoloft, anti-anxiety pills like Valium, high blood pressure medicine like Diuril, and even over-the-counter cold medicines like Sudafed and anti-heartburn pills like Zantac can inhibit erections.Stiffy Solution: Obviously, no one should ever go off a prescribed med without consulting with a doctor. But there are erection-friendly alternatives to nearly every daisy-wilting medicine listed above. And your dude shouldn't let embarrassment keep him from talking to his GP about this — doctors are well aware that erectile difficulties are a possible side effect for all of these medicines; they just don't know which patients will experience what side effects, so they're waiting for you, the patient, to bring it up.
6. STRESS
Not to give your already stressed-out dude one more thing to worry about, but stress is the cause of 20 percent of all erectile problems, from one-off boner blunders to a lingering inability to get and maintain an erection. Of course, sex difficulties are just the tip of the stress-induced health problem iceberg — sustained stress can also lead to insomnia, stomach troubles, chest pains, anxiety, and more severe health issues in the long term.Stiffy Solution: Again, saying "stop being so stressed out so you can get boners again" is easier said than done — but a lot of people find sexual dysfunction to be a stronger motivator to live a healthier lifestyle than the threat of, say, a heart attack down the road; so there's a chance that this could actually be a good thing in the long run for your boo, if it helps him take his stress seriously. Relaxation techniques like yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, and getting adequate sleep can all lessen the impact of stress on your body (and your dong).
7. PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
Remember those cultural messages we discussed earlier, about how men are wild sex aliens from the planet Weenus? Well, men are raised hearing those messages, too, and they can end up screwing with their sexual self-image —for instance, they can lead men to obsess over their own virility, and panic about impressing a new partner, until they've thought their boner into a corner and can't get an erection. Performance anxiety is one of the most common culprits behind lost erections, especially among younger, less experienced men.Stiffy Solution: The best thing you can do here is be understanding. By not freaking out yourself, or asking anxiety-provoking questions like "Is it something I did?" or "Do you not find me sexy any more?", you can help create a relaxed atmosphere where your partner (and his penis) can eventually see that there is nothing to worry about.
8. SMOKING
Smoking damages blood vessels, inhibiting blood flow throughout the body ... and I mean throughout the body. While studies have found that men with erectile problems only make up 20 percent of the general population, 40 percent of men with erectile problems are smokers. And a 2011 study of a group of male smokers with erectile problems found that 75 percent of them saw those erectile problems disappear after they quit.
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