If you want to have sex and have problems with erectile dysfunction, of course you should bother getting help. Most men can take medications like Viagra, and for those who can’t, other treatment options for erectile dysfunction exist, including vacuum pumps, injectable medications, and surgical implants.
And the more you commit to a healthy overall lifestyle, the more successful your doctor will be in treating your erection problems.
Here are some examples of lifestyle choices that do have the ability to affect your erectile health:
• Smoking. There are endless reasons to give up cigarettes, and if the possibility of lung cancer or heart disease isn’t enough motivation, how about the motivation of knowing you put yourself at higher risk of erectile dysfunction? Nicotine has the effect of narrowing blood vessels throughout the body, including the ones leading to your reproductive organs. And if you don’t have decent blood flow, you can’t have decent erections.
• Diet. The stereotypical “American” diet that’s high in saturated fats, cholesterol, sugar, and processed foods isn’t ideal for erection health. Foods that lead to clogged coronary arteries also lead to clogged arteries elsewhere. In fact, younger men with erectile dysfunction may find that their doctor wants to run other tests to assess cardiac health. Erectile dysfunction is somewhat of a “canary in a coal mine” indicator of the possibility of early heart disease. The good news is that lifestyle changes can improve both heart health and erection health.
Exercise helps you feel better, look better, and enjoy sex more.
• Exercise. When you get regular exercise, you not only can shed excess weight and build up your stamina, you improve overall circulation. Between the improved circulation and the extra confidence that often goes along with getting in shape, exercise is definitely good for your erection health.
• Alcohol consumption. A glass of wine with dinner isn’t going to ruin your sex life. Drinking to excess, however (whether periodically or regularly) eventually takes its toll on your erection health. In addition to the short-term inability to have an erection after a bout of heavy drinking, long-term alcohol abuse can result in long-term damage to erectile health.
Absolutely. Plenty of medications for a range of conditions, including allergies and depression, can cause erection problems or make existing problems worse. Whether you see your regular family doctor or a urologist for erectile dysfunction, it’s critical that you inform him or her of any prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and supplements that you take on a regular basis. If you are taking medications that are known to affect erection quality, your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative medication that will have fewer side effects.
If you’re with a new partner, the answer is yes, you should wear condoms, in the interest of practicing safe sex. If you’re in an established relationship and are having difficulty because of premature ejaculation, you may find that condoms help. You can try ordinary condoms or even condoms that contain numbing agents to reduce sensitivity. Some condoms are made of thicker latex to help delay ejaculation. By decreasing the sensitivity of the penis, condoms can help with premature ejaculation. If you and your partner are trying to conceive, however, this is clearly not a satisfactory solution.
One of the simplest ways to address premature ejaculation is through solo sex an hour or so before sex with a partner. Other options include numbing creams and sprays that contain ingredients like lidocaine that dull sensation. Wearing a regular or sensitivity reducing condom is an option, but can be problematic for couples who are trying to conceive.
It’s important to note that if you use a numbing cream or spray, you have to give it a few minutes to take effect, and then use a tissue to wipe away any excess before commencing sexual activity. If you don’t get rid of any excess cream or spray, the numbing agent can be transferred to your partner, which can disrupt their experience.
If the simple, over-the-counter methods of addressing premature ejaculation don’t work, it’s time to talk to a physician. You may or may not be a good candidate for a prescription drug like an SSRI or Viagra, and your doctor will need to understand your medical history to make the determination.
The concept of taking Viagra, or any drug designed to make erections stronger, as a way to address premature ejaculation may seem counterintuitive, but in some cases it works. If you’re unable to control problems with premature ejaculation through simpler methods, it may be worth discussing the possibility of taking prescription medications to address them.
Foods high in nitrates help your circulation work optimally, and these compounds are found naturally in leafy green vegetables as well as beet juice. And just so you know erectile health doesn’t demand you completely give up enjoyable foods, you should know that the flavonoids in dark chocolate are also known to improve circulation. In plants, flavonoids protect against oxidation and cell damage, and a small proportion of this function carries over when you eat them. Lean protein is good, but lean protein plus arginine (which is found in pistachios) is even better. Arginine is known as a vasodilator, making it good for erection health.
The reputation of foods like oysters for having aphrodisiac qualities isn’t entirely made up. That’s because oysters have lots of zinc in them, and zinc is important in the production of testosterone. It is possible that raw shellfish, like oysters, can stimulate the release of sexual hormones. Tomatoes make a terrific side dish because they’re high in a phytonutrient called lycopene, which is also good for circulation. Lycopenes are absorbed better when you eat them alongside foods high in healthy fats, like olive oil and avocados.
Some other foods that are healthy for your heart, circulation, and erection health include:
• Apples
• Peanuts
• Cranberries
• Red wine
• Tea
Doctors who treat erectile dysfunction frequently advise their patients to adopt heart-healthy habits like a nutritious diet and regular exercise because they know these lifestyle changes make overall health better and the better your general health, the better your erection health.
No. The myth that trading boxer shorts for briefs can affect your ability to have an erection is really just a myth. Wear whatever type of undergarments you want without worrying about whether they’re affecting erection quality or your erectile health.
Relax! Your choice of underwear won’t affect your ability to have an erection.
How did the “tight underwear” myth get started?
Tight underwear has been associated with lower sperm count, but that’s an entirely different problem, despite the fact that it takes place in the same anatomical vicinity. Low sperm count is a leading cause of infertility, but that’s separate and apart from whether a man can have strong erections.
The association between tight underwear and low sperm count is related to the temperature of the testicles. To produce sperm that’s sufficiently healthy, and in sufficient quantities, the testicles must be slightly cooler than the core body temperature. That is why they’re located externally. Tight underwear, by putting the testicles closer to the body, can cause temperature to rise, so sperm quality and quantity can suffer.
There are two important things to bear in mind. One, it takes something like 10 weeks for sperm to be produced, so the tight underwear-low sperm count connection is a long-term process and not an overnight process. Two, wearing tight underwear in hopes of reducing sperm count as a half-hearted attempt at birth control won’t work and is a stupid thing to try.
But if tight underwear is bad for sperm production, why wouldn’t it be bad for erections too?
Tight underwear doesn’t affect your cardiac fitness, so it won’t cause erectile dysfunction.
The process that produces sperm is separate from the process that causes you to have an erection. Erectile health is closely related to cardiac health. Healthy production of sperm in large quantities depends in part on operating in an environment that is slightly cooler than the body’s core temperature. Hence, if the testicles aren’t cool enough, sperm count can suffer without there being any effect on erectile functioning.
It’s essentially a made-up product that trades on the strong reputation associated with the name Viagra. It may indeed be “all natural,” but natural and safe are not synonymous. Think about it, poison ivy and digitalis are “all natural,” but they can be dangerous as well.
Staxyn can work quickly, but you should give it 30 minutes to take effect. Staxyn contains the same active ingredient as Levitra (vardenafil), but it’s formulated in a quick-dissolve tablet that you place under your tongue. Some men prefer this, since they don’t have to take Staxyn with water. When the drug dissolves under the tongue, it enters the bloodstream somewhat faster than if you were to swallow it whole, as you would with traditional Levitra.
Nonetheless, doctors recommend taking Staxyn a half-hour to a full hour before sex to ensure that it has enough time to become effective. Like Levitra, Staxyn has a half-life of four to six hours.
You can expect your local chain pharmacy to carry Viagra and other popular prescription medications for treating erectile dysfunction. The prices don’t tend to vary that much from chain to chain, but you might save a few dollars at one compared to another. They should carry the standard doses of all the major erectile dysfunction drugs, and once you hand over your prescription, you should have no trouble obtaining your medication. In fact, a lot of chains have made prescription purchases a bit more private by having the line for the pharmacy set back from the customer being served, so there’s less worry about everyone behind you knowing your business.
