Do you have trouble getting an erection or maintaining an erection during sex? How often does it happen? How has it affected your relationships with your sex partners?
A lot of men around the world experience difficulties in getting and keeping erections. Every time they partake in sexual activities, their penises fail to perform, and they and their partners end up being embarrassed and disappointed in the bedroom. Known as erectile dysfunction, this condition is prevalent in older men, but can also strike those who are in their 20s.
Causes of Erectile Dysfunction
How does erectile dysfunction come about? What are examples of things that can cause it? Below are some of the most common causes of erectile dysfunction:
High blood pressure
This health problem subjects your heart and blood vessels to extra pressure, resulting to an increased risk of stroke, heart attack, or some other cardiovascular diseases. Its warning signs include chest pains, severe headaches, vision problems, irregular heartbeat, fatigue, and pounding in the ears or neck.
High cholesterol
This condition occurs when there is too much fat in your body. It can lead to the formation of many fatty deposits in your blood vessels that block blood flow and circulation. If you have it, you may experience chest pains and high blood pressure, and become prone to a heart attack or stroke.
Obesity
This is a medical condition in which there is too much extra weight or fat in the body, and, as a result, symptoms and complications — such as back and joint pains, exhaustion, snoring, increased sweating, shortness of breath, and heart burn — arise.
Alcoholism
This is a disease wherein a person becomes highly dependent on alcohol or has an extremely strong craving for alcohol at all times. You are considered an alcohol if you drink more than 4 drinks per day or more than 14 drinks per week.
Stress
This is that feeling of tension brought about by situations that trigger your anger, nervousness, frustration, or fear. If you are always stressed out, you may manifest a variety of symptoms, such as headaches, insomnia, digestive problems, chest pain, increased heart rate, and muscle pains.
Depression
This is a widespread mental health illness that impacts how you think, feel, and act. If you have it, you may experience feelings of numbness or sadness, lose your interest in things you used to enjoy, and have suicidal thoughts.
Ways to Protect Yourself Against Erectile Dysfunction
To not fall victim to the dangers of erectile dysfunction, you should make smart and healthy lifestyle choices. The following are some tips on how you can keep your penile performance in tip-top shape:
1. Stop smoking
Smoking is known to be dangerous to one’s health. It exposes your lungs and other vital organs to poisonous and damaging substances that can impair their functions. If you smoke, you become prone to colds, asthma, coughing, and wheezing, and, over time, your risk of life-threatening diseases, such as lung cancer, emphysema, and pneumonia, significantly increases too.
2. Watch your alcohol consumption
According to health experts, drinking alcohol is not completely bad for your health, as long as it is done in moderation. For men, you are advised to limit yourself to up to 4 drinks per day or up to 14 drinks per week to not put yourself in danger. For women, up to 3 drinks per day or up to 7 drinks per week is recommended. If you drink more, you will be considered an alcoholic, and your odds of liver diseases, cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, pancreatitis, brain damage, and immune system dysfunction shoot up.
3. Reduce stress
Being stressed all the time has negative effects on your emotional, mental, sexual, and physical health. You will become irritable, anxious, miserable, or upset, and you will lose your sex drive or libido. You will also have low energy levels, have a hard time getting enough sleep every night, experience rapid heartbeat or chest pains, and get colds and infections more frequently.
4. Lose weight
To lose weight effectively, you should start eating a healthy and balanced diet and get into a regular exercise routine. Stop eating fast foods and junk foods, and replace them with fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyday, set aside 20 to 30 minutes of your time for exercise, even just by walking your dog around the block, running on the treadmill, or doing chores.
5. Get mental health help
Because some cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by depression, anxiety, stress, or other mental health issues, seeking help to sort out your mental health for better erectile and sexual functions should also be considered. Find a therapist, counselor, or psychologist near you, and be open about your problems. Do not hesitate to share your thoughts about yourself, your relationships, and other aspects of your life, and work with them each step of the way.
Consulting A Doctor
Visiting a doctor is also necessary to solve your erectile problems. Most often than not, men with erectile dysfunction need more than just a major lifestyle change in order to fix their penis problems. They may have to undergo screening and treatment solutions that require the supervision of a medical professional.
If you go to a doctor, you may be requested to undergo a test to check if there are underlying conditions that are causing your erectile dysfunction. You are likely to go through a physical exam, or probably a blood test or urine test. If your doctor deems it necessary, you may go through an ultrasound or psychological exam too.
Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction
Men who have been clinically diagnosed with erectile dysfunction are usually prescribed oral medications, such as Avanafil, Tadalafil, Sildenafil, and Vardenafil. These have the ability to boost the power of nitric oxide in the body, and help the penis perform much better for sex. They can increase blood flow to the penis, making getting an erection easy and hassle-free every time there is sexual stimulation.
