Lets Talk.... ED
Nobody likes to bring it up.
Its one of those topics that is avoided like the plague in many circles, but the less its talked about, the higher the embarrassment factor gets. The thing is, most men will experience this at some point in their life, and opening up a dialogue around this less than comfortable subject will hopefully reduce the embarrassment and encourage those who are struggling to ask for help.
Lets talk impotency, what it is and what impact does it have?
The common misconception around impotency lies in the belief that it is an inability to 'get it up', but in reality, impotency can also mean that you're unable to maintain an erection or ejaculate on a regular basis.
In the UK alone in 2021, an estimated 48% of men admitted to experiencing impotency regularly, so unlike other conditions we have talked about this week, this is way more common than we like to admit. 48% of men equates to around 16.5 million across the country, with the NHS spending an estimated 13 million in 2021 on impotency medication alone.
Whilst there can be medical reasons for impotency, lifestyle choices can also play a huge part as well, and sometimes something as simple as making small tweaks to your day to day life can play a huge part in reducing problems with ED (erectile dysfunction).
So, what can you be doing to help yourself? I know you know exactly where we are going with this, but I am going to say it anyway fellas...
Don't Smoke!!!
We can wax lyrical over and over about the myriad of issues that cigarettes cause, but what you may not know is that nicotine use/abuse and ED are actually very closely linked. Nicotine causes the blood vessels throughout your body to narrow which in turn reduces circulation. That restriction of blood flow can play a huge part in not being able to keep or sustain an erection.
Apart from everything else, this has to be reason enough to put the cigarette down!
Reduce Your Stress and Boost Your Self Care
Todays world can feel like way too much at times, and when you find yourself living on almost constant high alert, it can impact much more than just mental health.
Decreased sexual desire, constant stress from home, work and an inability to relax can all impact on a healthy sex life and to top it off fella's, when it doesn't work, it can then throw performance anxiety into the mix as well, exacerbating an already difficult situation.
One thing we can't always change is what the world is throwing at us. Sometimes, life just is - but learning how to cope with the stress, look after your mental, physical and emotional health and focus on self care when things begin to overwhelm you can play a huge part in helping issues with ED.
Take some time out, even if its just a few minutes every day to be quiet, focussed and meditative. We are beginning to see how much of an impact these simple activities can actually have on mental wellbeing and how quickly that then manifests into physical health.
Switch Off The Porn!
Sorry to be a killjoy boys!
Nobody is saying that you can't watch it, but too much can actually cause desensitization, making it difficult to get an erection. The internet provides limitless visual stimulation which has the ability to provoke a stronger arousal and faster ejaculation. Whilst these might be exceptionally pleasurable at the time, repeated use of pornography can create a similar effect to that of other addictions. If it gets out of control, it can put you into a cycle of binging and craving, have a huge impact on romantic relationships and hugely affect how responsive your body is to stimulation other than pornography.
Don't Reach For the Wine
Its been a long day at work, every phone call has resulted in you climbing another mountain of paperwork, and all the jobs you set yourself are still waiting to be done when you walk back through the office door tomorrow.
You walk through your front door, straight into the kitchen, pull out a bottle of wine or beer and pour a very large glass!
I am sure we can all relate to those days, but regular or excessive consumption of alcohol can not only have a temporary affect on your ability to get an erection, but can actually cause problems long term that can be responsible for chronic erectile dysfunction.
Alcohol damages your nerves, raises your risk of cardiovascular disease and drops testosterone levels. On their own, each one of these things can cause problems, but the combination of all three symptoms has the potential to make a healthy sex life very difficult.
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Male Menopause is Real!
That's right fella's. I know we joke about man flu because us ladies just grin and bear it, but actually, male menopause is not a myth and can have a huge impact on testosterone production, along with quite a large amount of other symptoms that can feel quite debilitating. If you have been with us all week, you will have already read the article we wrote about this, but for those who haven't - check out the link below. Getting your testosterone levels checked could be lifechanging for you not only as far as your sex life goes, but in every other aspect of your life as well.
New medication? 257 Possible Side Effects!
There will always be moments throughout your life that medication is necessary, and we would never suggest that you shouldn't take something your body needs. but its also important to have a full understanding of the possible side effects that come with certain medications.
Many pharmaceuticals can contribute to ED by affecting neurotransmitters, hormones, blood flow and nerve function. If this is something you have a concern about, its important to speak to your Doctor who will be able to advise on how to resolve the problem or offer an alternative medication.
So, we know what can cause the problems, but how can you resolve them?
Join the Kegel Club!
As men age, their pelvic floor can weaken which in turn can weaken erections.
Both myself and Louise were very surprised about this. As mums, pelvic floor exercises, (also known as kegels), are something that are talked about a lot. Childbirth weakens the muscles so these do become necessary as women age. The beauty of a kegel is that you can do it anywhere at any time, and doing them can make a huge difference. What we didn't realise is that this is something which is also really important for men as they age.
An independent study performed around this showed that within 6 months of beginning to do daily kegel exercises, 40% of male participants had regained normal erectile function with 35% showing improvement. A large percentage of the men taking part also reported decreased dribbling after using the toilet.
So, how is it done?
To help you identify the muscles you need to exercise, the recommendation is to attempt to stop urinating midstream. This will help you to locate the muscles that you need to exercise. Once you have them, its a nice, tight retraction 10-20 times in a row - 3 times per day. Not only will this help with ED issues, but it has also been suggested that it will help to increase orgasm quality.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Diet, Exercise and Weight Loss
We aren't going to wax lyrical on this one either. It comes up with everything that we write about and lets be honest - you all know the score.
Certain foods have been suggested as possibly helping with ED although we cannot confirm or deny this. Avocados, chilli peppers, apples, caffeine and spinach all contain certain vitamins that have been connected to helping ED alongside prescribed treatments.
Everything in moderation will not only help with any sexual issues you may be having but also reduce your risk of cancers, cardiovascular conditions, strokes etc.
As with any medical condition, if there are concerns you should always go and see your Doctor. As we talked about earlier, this is not uncommon and its nothing to be embarrassed about but the stigma attached to ED can actually make the situation feel so much worse.
There are so many possible reasons for ED, and a process of elimination with a professional will not only help to narrow down what is causing it, but also bring a sense of relief which will help towards resolving the issue and bringing a balance back that will have been sorely missed.