Erectile Dysfunction

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examinational Survey (NHANES), 1 in 5 men will experience erectile difficulty sometime in their life. So if 20% of all American men are confronted with this problem, why are so many of us ashamed to talk about it? The more knowledge you arm yourself with the more confident you’ll feel about how to make this problem temporary. The sooner you know what it’s caused by, the sooner you can feel confident in the bedroom again.

It’s true that as you get older the chances of experiencing erectile dysfunction increase. There are a few reasons for this: the first is that over time our testosterone levels decrease. Every decade after you hit 30, your testosterone decreases by 10% in most men, and in other men that percentage is even higher. But testosterone isn’t solely to blame – mostly, it’s our unhealthy lifestyles catching up with us. It may seem obvious, but so many of us forget the impact that diet, exercise, sleep and substances make on our sex lives.

We all know that exercise is vital for a full and healthy life, but you may not have known that men who exercise three to five times a week are 30% less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, according to The Harvard Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Obesity is also a factor in erectile dysfunction as well, so stop eating like a twenty-something because your metabolism isn’t what it used to be. Put down that cheeseburger and step on the nearest treadmill stat.

You’ve heard of “whiskey-dick,” where you can’t get it up because of too much alcohol consumed. There are some health benefits in drinking a small amount of alcohol, such as decreased chance of heart disease, but don’t go overboard. If you smoke, you have yet another reason to quit – nicotine is a va vasoconstrictor, meaning it tightens blood vessels and restricts blood flow, meaning it hinders blood from flowing to the penis.

Stress and other psychological factors are a huge factor – besides general lifestyle choices, stress is the biggest cause of temporary erectile dysfunction. So deal with that bad day at work or the argument with your partner if you want to enjoy sex. Many men have found talking to a registered therapist helpful if the issues are deeply rooted.

If you don’t think any of these points are factors in your erectile dysfunction, consider consulting your doctor to rule out any other causes. Sometimes erectile dysfunction is a side effect of prescription drugs or medical procedures such as radiation. If this may be the case, consult your doctor.