What can I do to prevent erectile dysfunction if I have diabetes?

For those afflicted with diabetes, the condition can already feel like a full time job. You have to watch what you eat, you have to keep a close eye on your blood glucose level; Diabetes can really feel like a handful.

To add insult to injury, diabetes is one of the most commonly linked ailments to erectile dysfunction. Research has found that about 35%-75% of men with diabetes will experience some degree of erectile dysfunction during their lifetime. Additionally, it has been found that men with diabetes typically develop ED about 10 to 15 tears before men without diabetes.

No matter how you cut it, if you’re a man with diabetes, you are at an increased risk for erectile dysfunction.

But having diabetes doesn’t mean you’ll inevitably lose the ability to achieve an erection. In fact, by living healthy, you won’t have to worry about losing your erection for many, many years.

So how does a man with diabetes prevent ED from developing? Simple: It’s all about your blood sugar. That magic little number you get when you test yourself relates to your glucose levels. For men with diabetes, your glucose levels can play an integral part in just about every aspect of your body.

If you want to prevent erectile dysfunction, you need to control your blood sugar. Eat healthy, slim down your portion sizes, cut out sugary sodas, and get active.

By living well, you’ll find your glucose levels will consistently be good. With good glucose levels, you’ll be able to live a happy, erectile dysfunction life for many, many years.

 

How can I determine the severity of my erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction isn’t just a standard, catchall medical issue. It comes in various forms of severity, and these various forms of severity are going to have varying issues. If you find you occasionally miss an erection, you wouldn’t have the same issues as a man who’s found he can no longer achieve an erection.

When you decide to consult a doctor about your ED, he’s going to quiz you on your issue in an attempt to ascertain the level of severity. If you want to be ahead of the game and be prepared for the questions your doctor is going to ask, here are some of the most commonly asked questions used for diagnosing ED severity.

Did your ED begin suddenly or develop gradually?: This will give your doctor a better idea of how your ED began. ED that began suddenly may indicate that there could be something wrong with you internally, while a gradual development could indicate mental issues causing your ED.

Do you wake up with an erection?: This question is important. If you’re capable of waking up with “morning wood” (to use the parlance of our times), then your erectile dysfunction isn’t physically caused.

Is penetration difficult 50%, 75%, or 100% of the time?: With this question, the doctor can begin to gauge the severity of your ED. Depending on your answer, your doctor can begin to figure out how serious your ED has become.

Do you experience any urinary issues?: Having trouble holding your urine? Do you find yourself using the restroom frequently? This could indicate that you’re having issues with your urinary tract, which could contribute to your ED.

What can cause erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction. It can strike seemingly at any time, leaving even the manliest man brought low by the loss of his erection. All men fear losing their virility, and this fear is compounded by the fact that most men really aren’t sure what causes erectile dysfunction. Some men have heard whispers that too much masturbation can lead to ED, while others swear a poor diet will do your erection in.

Let’s set the record straight. Here are some of the most common causes for ED:

Stress: Boss riding you at work? Feeling like you’re not providing for your family? Feel like there just isn’t enough time in the day? Stress can come from many factors, and it can weigh heavily on a man’s mind. So heavily, in fact, that it can begin to affect a man physically. When a man is preoccupied by stress, the body may struggle to keep an erection.

Depression: Like stress, depression can feel overwhelming. Even if everything in your life is going great, depression can throw a serious damper over it all, leading to you struggling from day-to-day. Depression can be caused by outside factors, or it could be caused by internal factors. However it rears it’s ugly head, it can lead to the body missing erections.

Weight gain: If you’ve been packing on the pounds, you may see your erection pay the price. As the body puts on weight, the blood vessels begin to narrow, seriously hampering blood flow. When blood can’t flow through the body quickly, it will struggle to get blood to your lower extremities, leading to missed erections.

Medical: Erectile dysfunction can be a warning sign of something even worse. Heart problems, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries have all been found to be related to ED. If you’re erectile dysfunction becomes severe, consult a doctor to find out if it’s a red flag for something deadly.

At what age is it normal to develop erectile dysfunction?

Like a monster in your closet, older men feel like erectile dysfunction is looming just around the corner, waiting to strike. It’s a fact of life that your body is going to undergo some serious changes as you age, including tightening of the joints, decreased hearing, and, eventually, the loss of your erection.

Yes, the day will come when your body isn’t able to get blood down south quite as quickly as it used to, which will lead to it’s fair share of missed erections.

But when is the dreaded ED going to finally strike? When can you expect to lose your erection?

Ultimately, the age you begin to lose the ability to achieve an erection is entirely dependent upon your life choices. Men who stay physically active, eat well, don’t smoke, and practice moderation with alcohol tend to be healthier internally. Thus, vascular problems, such as reduced blood flow, which leads to ED, aren’t as likely to strike early. A healthy man could be well into his 80’s before he finds he isn’t able to get it up like he used to.

But for men who haven’t always eaten kale salads and ran 5-minute miles, ED tends to come up a bit earlier. Research has found that most men tend to experience ED around 65, with the percentage of men reporting suffering from ED climbing from 65 on.

If you’re looking to delay the inevitable, live well and be healthy, and you won’t have to worry about erectile dysfunction for many, many years.

Are there any exercises for fighting erectile dysfunction?

You’ve changed your diet from fatty to healthy. You’re seeing a mental health professional to shake off any lingering mental hang-ups you might have. You’re committed to a full body revamp to save your erection. Now you’re looking to get physical. Sure, there are plenty of exercises that work your delts and your quads, but what about your erection?

Turns out, there is a simple exercise you can incorporate into your daily workout that could help you to regain your erection. But it might be the last exercise you’d ever expect.

Experts have found that the best exercise for erectile dysfunction of kegel exercises. Yes, kegel exercises, the workout commonly associated with huffing and puffing mothers-to-be, could help you to regain the use of your erection.

This is because the kegel exercises works and tones your pelvic floor muscles. These muscles play an integral part in regulating blood and urine to the penis. When you strengthen these muscles, you’ll find it much easier to control urine flow (very useful if you’re struggling with incontinence) and aid the penis in reaching erect state.

Even better, kegel exercises are insanely easy to do. You can even do them on your daily commute once you’ve mastered the work-out. Simply tighten your pelvic floor muscles, as if you were attempting to stop your urine mid flow. Hold this tightness for 10 seconds, before relaxing and resting for 10 seconds.

That’s it. That’s all you need to do. Do this exercise 10 times a day, 3 to 5 times a day, and you could be seriously helping your erection.

Can penis pumps help me to overcome erectile dysfunction?

The penis pump has been on the market for seemingly dozen of years, and while it has been found to actually help the penis, it mostly ends up as the brunt of jokes. Everyone had a good laugh when Austin Powers broke out his Swedish-Made Enlarger. But if you look past the silly name, you’ll find a contraption that could help to return your erection to it’s former glory.

Most men would hesitate to waltz into a seedy adult store and pick up a dubious looking pump to put onto their most sacred of areas. After all, the penis pump is presented as an at-home enlarger, and you’ve got a reputation to uphold. But worry not; the penis pump isn’t just for men looking to gain a few inches. Experts have found that the pump is useful for men who struggle to achieve and maintain an erection.

This is because the penis pump works by pumping air out of the tube, thus creating a vacuum. In this vacuum, blood in the penis is pulled into the shaft and into erectile tissue. As the erectile tissue fills with blood, the penis will spring to life. Even men with the most stubborn of ED will find that this little pump can help to get your erection up and at them.

However, once the pump comes off, it will be up to you to keep your erection up. It is suggested that you slip a constriction ring onto your penis, ensuring that blood will not begin to escape once free of the vacuum. With the ring on, your erection will continue to stand at attention and you’ll be free to get down to business.

Of course, the penis pump doesn’t present a permanent solution for ED. But for men looking for a little temporary help in the bedroom, it’s not a bad choice.

Can my sleeping habits effect my erection?

Do you toss and turn at night? Do you snore like a backfiring car? Do you struggle to fall asleep at night? If you answered yes to any of these, bad news; you could be heading towards erectile dysfunction.

Yes, research has been conducted and numbers have been crunched, and experts have found that men who suffer from sleep issues are at a higher risk of erectile dysfunction. While what’s going on with your sleep schedule and what happens to your erection seem like they couldn’t be more disconnected, the truth is quite the opposite.

This is because sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia can lead to a fluctuation in your body’s hormones. When your hormones are out of whack, this can lead to issues elsewhere in the body, including an increase in abdominal fat. When your pack on the pounds in your abdomen, your body will struggle to keep up with this newfound weight, leading to your heart struggling to accommodate, leading to, you guessed it, erectile dysfunction.

That’s not to say the occasional crummy sleep will result in the loss of your erection. Only men who suffer from serious sleep disorders are at risk of developing ED. For men who do suffer from sleep disorders and fear for their erection, talk with your doctor about potential remedies for your sleeping issues. Once you’ve managed to overcome these problems and get a good night’s sleep, your erection will be safe.

Are there any herbal remedies for erectile dsyfunction?

As a child of the Earth, you always seek the natural path. Non-GMO food, hemp clothes, all natural everything. So when you develop erectile dysfunction, you’re naturally (pun intended) going to look for a natural way to overcome this issue. After all, if the Earth can produce natural alternatives to Advil and the like, surely there most be something found in the wild that can beat erectile dysfunction, right?

Unfortunately, despite extensive research, no natural solutions have been found that can completely conquer erectile dysfunction. Sure, there are roots, berries, twigs, and leaves that have been found to aid in fighting ED, but scientists have yet to find the miracle natural ED remedy.

While you may be loathe to turn to medication to overcome your bedroom affliction, the simple fact is that erectile health pills really are the best way to fight ED. If you want to be able to perform in the bedroom, you’re going to need Viagra or Cialis backing you up.

Positive lifestyle changes can help you to overcome ED, and incorporating natural ED solutions into your life can help to fight back against erectile dysfunction. But if you want to shake off ED completely, you’re going to need to turn to medication.

Can foods help fight erectile dysfunction?

Sure, you’ve heard that a ballooning waistline can lead to health complications, including erectile dysfunction. By exercising regularly and eating better, you can fight back against this weight-gain induced ED. But when you’re making these positive lifestyle changes, are there any foods you can introduce into your diet that might help your chances of beating ED?

While no food group is going to help you to overcome ED singlehandedly, introducing these three foods into your diet may give you the fighting chance you need.

Leafy Greens: Leafy veggies such as spinach, celery, and lettuce are chock full of nitrates, an extremely effective vasodilator. In plain English this means that these green vegetables help to open up blood vessels and facilitate healthy blood flow. When blood can quickly reach the penis, this makes it easier for the body to achieve an erection.

Pistachios: These little nuts are rich in protein, which has been found to help improve sexual health. In fact, pistachios are so efficient at getting protein to the body that researchers have found that men with ED who ate pistachios every day for three weeks experienced a significant improvement in erectile health. This is because the protein in pistachios helps to relax blood vessels, improving blood flow.

Watermelon: Watermelon has been found to be so effective at helping men with ED that many have taken to calling the delicious fruit “Nature’s Viagra.” This is because watermelon is rich in phytonutrients, a helpful antioxidant. What makes these phytonutrients so efficient at fighting ED? You guessed it; they relax the blood vessels.

Can drinking too much lead to erectile dysfunction?

There’s nothing wrong with an adult beverage every once in a while. It can help you unwind, help you loosen up, and help to improve an otherwise boring night. But when drinking alcohol becomes a daily occurrence, you’re setting yourself up for a litany of health problems. An overdependence on alcohol can lead to liver failure, weight gain, and yes, erectile dysfunction.

While liver and heart problems are historically connected to alcoholism, alcohols effect on your erection is somewhat underreported.

You see, alcohol affects your heart. It can cause it to struggle to effectively pump blood throughout the body, which in turns affects body parts that are dependent upon steady blood flow. If your heart can’t quickly get blood to the penis, this leads to many erectile misfires. Even if the brain is in the mood and your body is ready, blood is needed to make anything happen downstairs. When alcohol slows your heart’s blood pumping abilities, your erection is going to pay the price.

That’s not to imply that alcohol needs to eliminated entirely from your life to save your erection. Like all things in life, drinking is about moderation. Keeping the amount you drink in check will ensure that your body stays healthy and happy.

If you feel as though drinking is taking over your life and you fear for the loss of your erection, talk with a mental health expert to get to the root of your problem and concoct a way to fight back. A drink every now and again never hurt anyone, but make sure it doesn’t take control of your life, or you could be saying adios to your erection.