Problems with your performance aren’t uncommon. Many men have difficulty performing sexually and for a variety of reasons. While these issues aren’t uncommon, they can bring down your self-esteem and possibly even your health. Going to the doctor is an important step in figuring out what’s wrong and what you can do to fix it.
There are many issues that can affect your sexual performance. This article will look at five of them:
Low testosterone
Impotence, less commonly known as erectile dysfunction, can make sex rarely happen or nonexistent. This condition causes your erection to either not occur or to only occur for a short period of time. Though, usually not long enough to have sex. To achieve an erection, and sustain it, sufficient blood flow needs to fill the penis. There are many causes of impotence, but one cause may be heart issues.
Studies looking at men who have had a heart attack or stroke show they experienced impotence three to five years before. Their impotence was a warning sign for impending heart issues and this may be the same scenario for you.
Before treatment can begin, the cause of the impotence needs to be figured out. Some of these causes are high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity. In a lot of cases, lifestyle changes have reduced many of the issues associated with impotence. If these changes in eating and cessation of smoking don’t prove successful, then a medication may be prescribed. The most well-known is Viagra, but others include Levitra and Cialis.
Hypogonadism
Hypogonadism, or testosterone deficiency syndrome, can be a source of frustrating sexual performance. In addition to impotence, it can affect your bones, muscle strength, energy, and mood.
After going to your doctor, he/she might prescribe a morning blood test to see if you have low testosterone. If the test is positive, you might be put on testosterone replacement therapy which will help with your sexual performance issues. On this therapy you’ll need to schedule regular checkups to make sure your testerone doesn’t get too high.
Having said this, low testosterone isn’t always one of the causes of impotence. You can have low testosterone and have satisfactory performance. If this is the case, there’s nothing to worry about.
Peyronie’s disease
This disease can be caused by scarring of your penis’s tissue. That scarring more than likely happened from an injury. Peyronie’s disease causes curvature of the penis or narrowing. If you have this condition, you should feel a hard lump on the upper side of your genitalia, usually. Sometimes, the lump can be in other places on your penis. In severe cases, you’ll feel pain and be unable to have sex.
Often, during erections, the pain will stop within one or two years, but the curvature will stay. Two years is a long time to be in pain, but there is hope.
Treatments for Peyronie’s disease involved surgery, in the past. This surgery came with risks of serious side effects. Currently, methods to straighten your penis using injectable compounds are being tested.
Abnormally long erection
If your erection lasts more than four hours, go to the emergency room. A prolonged erection, uncommonly known as priapism, can be caused by pills like Viagra, on occasion. If you have injected Viagra a higher chance of extremely long erections may occur. Other common causes of a prolonged erection are cocaine, sickle cell disease, and some psychiatric medications. To avoid permanent damage to your penis, treatment at the emergency room needs to happen within eight hours after your erection first began.
Doctors may use a needle to drain the excess blood, prescribe medication to suppress blood flow, or perform surgery.
Ejaculation
Ejaculating within two minutes of first getting an erection is known as premature ejaculation. Common among men of all ages, premature ejaculation is experienced by about 1/3 of men. There are many conditions that fall under ejaculatory dysfunction disorders, but premature ejaculation is the most common for men under 40 years of age.
Current treatments include antidepressant medication and anesthetics. These anesthetics come in a cream and decrease sensation, therefore making ejaculations last longer.
How can you avoid these sexual issues?
Diet and exercise. Its a well-known fact that proper diet, full of vegetables, fruit, and lean meats are good for you, but they also help your sexual performance issues by increasing testosterone and decreasing other diseases such as prostate cancer.
Smoking cessation. Smoking can restrict blood flow through the body, which will then restrict blood flow to your penis.
Maintaining a healthy weight. With similar health benefits of a good diet, staying at a healthy weight will not only increase your testosterone, but make it easier to engage in sexual activities, increase stamina, and make sex safer. A healthy weight lowers the risk of heart attacks, which is very important so your body can handle the strain of sex. It also reduces stress on your bones and joints. With less stress you’ll feel less pain, be more flexible in the bedroom, and stay in a better mood.
Finally, scheduling regular checkups with your doctor can delay or prevent sexual problems. He/she can screen for possible heart disease and advise you of possible medications that can help.
But, a physical doctor is not the only one you should visit. Many physical issues can be linked to your mental health. An appointment with a psychologist or psychiatrist can help you figure out any limiting beliefs or fears that may be affecting your sexual performance.
Male sexual issues are common to many men, no matter their age. Most can be managed with lifestyle changes, medication, and an open conversation with your doctor.
