Men’s Sexual Health
Sex is an important part in the lives of men and women. It’s our way of fulfilling our sexual desires and a way of reproduction. When it comes to males, they start to experience sexual desires right before puberty and may even last until their death.
Sexual health means the state of well-being a man experiences during sexual desires. A lot of factors affect sexual health such as:
Aging
Some changes in your desire for sex may come along as you age. You may need longer foreplay or higher stimulation to get aroused or erected.
Mental and Emotional Issues
Mental and emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, etc., can greatly affect your sex life. Just worrying about sex may cause you to lose desire or erection that can keep you from enjoying sexual intercourse.
Relationship concerns also play a big part in your sex life. Anger due to dissatisfaction, boredom in the relationship, and other issues can all affect your enjoyment in sexual intercourse.
Health Problems
Health problems may also affect your sex life. Conditions that may affect your sex life include:
Heart and vascular (blood vessel) disease
Diabetes
Hormone imbalances
Nervous system disorders like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease
Obesity
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
If you experience any sudden changes in your sex drive or ability, it can lead to a sign that you have a medical condition. Tell your doctor if you notice them.
Various medications, such as depression and high blood pressure drugs, can also affect sex. If you notice any changes in your sex drive after taking medications, ask your doctor on how to deal with those or if new prescriptions or alternatives are needed.
Vices such as smoking, drinking a lot of alcohol, and other unhealthy habits may also greatly affect your ability to do sex. On the other side of the fence, performing routine exercise, a healthier diet, weight and stress management would overall improve your sexual health.
Common Sexual Problems
A lot of men struggle with sexual problems. As said earlier, a lot of factors can lead to these such as stress, overall health, and relationship statuses. Sexual problems that may happen during sex or anytime in men are:
Erectile Dysfunction
Loss of sex drive
Irregular Orgasms
And inability to orgasm
There are a lot of factors affect men’s sexual health, namely:
Improving Your Sexual Health
A lot of men want to improve their sexual health so that it reflects on their enjoyment of sexual intercourse. Some take male enhancement pills, but there are healthier and simpler ways to improve your sexual health:
Stay active
One of the best and most common ways to improve your sexual health is by staying active in cardiovascular exercise. Exercising even as short as thirty minutes a day can do wonders in helping you boost your libido and keeping your heart in shape.
Proper Nutrition
Certain foods can also help you increase blood flow. They include:
Onions and garlic. These foods may not treat your breath that well, but they will be able to help circulate your blood.
Bananas. This potassium-rich fruit can help lower your blood pressure, and therefore boost your overall sexual performance by helping your sexual organs.
Chilies and peppers. Spicy foods that will help your blood flow, reducing chances of hypertension and inflammation.
Omega-3 fatty acids. Examples of foods that have this protein are salmons, tunas, avocados, and olive oil that will increase your blood flow.
Vitamin B-1. This vitamin will make your nerves quicker to signal from your brain to your penis. Foods that have these are pork, peanuts, and kidney beans.
Eggs. High in other B vitamins, eggs help balance hormone levels. This can decrease stress that often inhibits an erection
Reduce stress
Being stressful can affect all areas of your health, including your libido. Stress increases your heart rate (in the bad way) and increases blood pressure. Both of these are damaging to sexual desire and performance. Psychological stress can also affect achieving an erection or reaching an orgasm. Communicating also with your partner will lower stress levels and strengthen your relationship at the same time.
Kick bad habits
Vices that you rely on such as smoking or alcoholic beverages will also affect your sexual performance. While studies suggest that a little red wine can improve circulation, too much alcohol can have adverse effects. Stimulants narrow blood vessels and have been linked to impotence. Cutting down or quitting smoking is one of the first steps to improve performance.
Treatment Options
If a medical condition appears, your doctor may need to address those first before going into other options.
Your doctor might suggest changing unhealthy habits to healthy ones. For example, change smoking into exercising and drinking alcohol into eating a healthier diet. Overall, these changes in habits will increase your performance and confidence in your sexual health.
Other treatment options include:
Counseling to help you manage stress, anxiety, fear, or guilt, or to address depression or other mental health concerns
Medications for erection problems that you take as a pill, such as Cialis, Levitra, Stendra, or Viagra
Medicines for erection problems that you get as a shot, like alprostadil
Testosterone replacement therapy and other hormone treatments for imbalances
Medical devices, such as vacuum erection devices, that help you get an erection
Penis implant surgery
Surgery to correct penis deformities
Penile traction therapy, in which you wear a device on your penis to correct deformities
