Not so long-ago impotency was considered to be a taboo topic to talk on. People were hushed up as they spoke about it because it was considered as a highly embarrassing topic but no more. Thanks to the liberalization of the society, drug advertisements, and advancement in the medicine. Erectile dysfunction is totally treatable and many men have benefitted with the help of medications and a natural healthy diet and are now enjoying a happy married life.
What is E.D?
Doctors simply explain it as an inability to neither obtain nor maintain an erection for physical intimacy. Around 15-30 million males suffer from ED in the United States every year. According to the urologists and the kidney experts, it occurs in 5% of the males who are 40 years old and in 15-25% in the males of 65 years and above. Today science has proven that heavy dosages of medications, prolonged health issues and treatments and severe injuries are the main causes of the erectile dysfunction. As Neil Baum, who is an M.D and a clinical associate professor (urology) at the Tulane University School of Medicine suggests, one can help overcome ED by following these simple 12 ways. Here they are:
1. Consider Your Medication
Over-the-counter medications like diuretics, antihistamines, heart medications, blood pressure medicines are the root cause of ED. It is, however, true that not every person is same and reacts in the same way to the medicines but drug-induced dysfunction is very common in the men above 50 years of age. If you have this feeling that the drugs that you are taking are the reason behind your ED, you must go and ask your doctor for a medication change.
2. Go Easy On The Alcohol
Alcohol inhibits reflexes and is a nervous system depressant. It creates a condition which is opposite to that of arousal. Even two cocktail drinks can be bothersome for many. A chronic alcoholic condition can cause liver and nervous system damage and also hormonal imbalances in the body. extra alcohol in the body may lead to the secretion of more female hormones than the male hormone testosterone which leaves the person droopy. As the great Shakespeare quoted in the Macbeth, alcohol surely provokes desire but it takes away the performance.
3. Give Yourself Time
Aging further affects the erection. A teenage boy may get an erection in seconds but a man in his thirties may have to wait. As the man grows older his ability of genital stimulation and erection gradually decreases.
4.Don’t Smoke
Nicotine is a constrictor of the blood vessels and it has been proven medically. In the University of Texas, the team of researchers performed an experiment with two different groups, one with non-smoking men and the other one was given chewing gum which was laced with nicotine while the other group was given placebo gum. A major 23% reduction in the physical arousal was seen in the group with nicotine-laced gum compared to the placebo gum group.
5. Know What’s Good For The Arteries
Keeping one’s arteries clean is very important. This is an important organ that helps in flowing the blood to all body as well as the penile region. Cholesterol and food rich n saturated fats clog the arteries which constrict the normal blood flow. So men who are above 35 should start watching their weight and get regular check-ups to know the levels of fat and cholesterol in their bodies.
6. Lose Weight
Overweight men face difficulties in maintaining an erection and it is true no matter how harsh it sounds. Even if someone is 20% heavier than what they are supposed to be they must try losing weight as that would reduce the chances of having an ED. A fitter body is definitely better in bed and one may consider weight training and karate or maybe kickboxing, but don’t overindulge in cycling.
7. Don’t Overdo Bike Riding
Riding a bicycle is considered to be the best health exercise if one wants to become lean but the result can sometimes be really opposite. Riding a bike tends to put a lot of pressure between the legs where the nerve vessels are flowing to the organ. So one must get off the seat often or should use a wide seat. The whole idea is to avoid getting numb in the penile area which makes people lose the ability for an erection later.
8. Refocus Your Attention
The easiest way to relax is to focus on your partner.Concentrate more on the sensual aspects of being intimate like prolonged foreplay and being in each other’s company and not at all worrying about an erection works wonders. Our skin is actually the largest organ which can generate feelings, so now you know where you should be really investing your time.
9. Avoid Whole Body Stimulants
Caffeine and other similar stimulants prevent the relaxation of the smooth muscle which should happen before an erection. So, whosoever says that coffee is the performance enhancer, he is just lying.
10. Try To Relax
Our nervous system is divided in 2 ways: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system. When our body is dominated by the sympathetic nerves, we are in an alert mode. The adrenaline rush prepares the body for a fight or a flight. The blood is pulled from the organs to the brain which mostly happens with men because they are too anxious when it comes to their performance. This is also known as performance pressure. This results in flooding of the body with norepinephrine which is an adrenal hormone which is not required during intimacy. The key to this is to just lay back and relax and take the parasympathetic system take over. This helps in blood to rush to the lower regions relaxing the nerves and arteries hence creating the desired erection.
11. Eat More Watermelon
Yes, you read that right. The juicy, red fruit is an aphrodisiac. Scientists found that the phytonutrients present in watermelon have effects like that of Viagra on the body. Further, this fruit also contains citrulline, a compound that has relaxing tendencies. Unlike Viagra, the citrulline does not target only one specific organ of the body but also encourages the blood vessels to relax in the whole body which in turn is great for the immune and circulatory system and also the heart. Have a generous helping of this fruit which will not just cool you but will prepare you for some real action too.
12. Get More Physical And Have More Sessions With Your Partner
A Finnish study recently concluded that men who are aged between 55-75 years of age and who were intimate less than one time a week had twice the chances of compared to the men who did at least one time in a week. So the conclusion is that regular indulgence prevents the man from developing an ED.
When To Call The Doctor About Erectile Dysfunction
Impotency is treatable, and age is not a constraint these days. When the ways discussed above fails to give the desired results, a urologist may help with various treatments and therapies. Here are some of the treatments that are available around:
- Counselling, as it helps in dealing with the emotional aspect of the issue.
- Surgically, a device can be implanted that expands mechanically during arousal.
- Drug therapy, which includes drugs like Cialis and Viagra which helps in enhancing the performance and increases the blood flow.
- Vacuum devices which help in drawing the blood to the organ thus maintaining an erection.
However, this is just informative and if one has a problem the first thing they should do is to see a doctor.
