For men and women, sexual health is an important topic. Your sexual health is a vital component to your overall health and happiness, so I am going to give you a list of the most important factors that lead to a higher degree of sexual health and satisfaction. Today, we’ll focus these tips for men, but stay tuned for next week’s article, geared towards women.
1. Your Health Status
If you are not happy with the way your body is working in a sexual manner, I recommend a visit to your family doctor. You may have an underlying health concern like diabetes, high blood pressure, prostatic enlargement, or hormonal imbalances which are common in aging men. These disorders can dampen your libido and sexual response. These common conditions are also very treatable, so don’t be worried about getting your doctor involved as the diagnosis can be very helpful in getting you the appropriate help you need. If you are taking prescription medications, review them with your doctor as they may be directly involved in the development of sexual problems.
2. Your Lifestyle
If you are inactive, eat a poor diet, smoke, and drink excessive amounts of alcohol, this can negatively influence your libido and sexual function. Men who suffer from abdominal obesity, who are sedentary, or who smoke or drink too much are much more likely to have damage to the small blood vessels which line the reproductive tract and penis. The damage, caused from inflammation, decreases the blood flow and hence decreases the quality and quantity of the erectile response. Smoking can directly damage small blood vessels and excessive alcohol consumption can negatively influence male hormonal levels. Inactivity is also linked to lower levels of libido and the development of small vessel disease. When you improve your lifestyle, your health and quality of life will improve in many ways!
MORE: Is there a link between sexual health and heart problems?
3. Your Mental State
Higher levels of stress and depression have been shown to influence the sexual behavior and response in men. This situation, in my opinion, is not being managed that well so it’s up to you guys to do something about this. If you are chronically stressed-out or depressed, you may find that your sex drive and sexual interests are wandering. If you are otherwise healthy, there are lots of things that you can do to help yourself including appropriate natural therapies and treatment, if required. I’ll review more natural therapies to reduce stress next week. I am also an advocate of psychological cognitive and talk therapy as this can be a very helpful tool to manage stress.
4. Atherosclerosis
I chose this condition because most men over the age of 50 have this disease and don’t even realize it. Small vessel disease accounts for approximately 90% of all cases of male sexual dysfunction and this issue needs to be dealt with. Atherosclerosis is caused from plaque and calcium build-up in the inner linings of the arteries and is associated with aging, family history, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood fat. Men who have atherosclerosis for some time need to have this problem diagnosed and treated. However, there are a host of options available including natural remedies, lifestyle modifications, and medical intervention. As promised, I will be dealing with this issue again soon in subsequent articles.
In the meantime, keep these four sexual health tips in mind if you’re suffering from a sexual health problem. Your quality of life will improve greatly.
Source(s) for Today’s Article:
Cao, S., et al., “Smoking and risk of erectile dysfunction: systematic review of observational studies with meta-analysis,” PLoS One 2013; 8 (4): e60443.
Phillip, F., et al., “Current state of endovascular treatment for vasculogenic erectile dysfunction,” Curr Cardiol Rep. May 2013; 15(5): 360.
Martini, A.C., et al., [Obesity and male fertility], Rev Fac Cien Med Univ Nac Cordoba 2012; 69(2): 102-10.
Byun, J.S., et al., “Sexual dysfunctions induced by stress of timed intercourse and medical treatment,” BJU Int. April 2013; 111(4 Pt B): E227-34.
Hosain, G.M., et al., “Sexual dysfunction among male veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: prevalence and correlates,” J Sex Med. February 2013; 10(2): 516-23.
Pastuszak, A.W., “Depression is correlated with the psychological and physical aspects of sexual dysfunction in men,” Int J Impot Res. March 7, 2013.