If you suffer from Erectile Dysfunction, there are signs and symptoms of acquiring the disorder. There are ways to know if your Erectile Dysfunction is getting worse. You may not recognize the little things you do day in and day out can affect your symptoms. 44 % of men can trace their Erectile Dysfunction back to another health issue. We are discussing what Erectile Dysfunction is like, how you can set yourself up for success, and how you can tell if your symptoms are getting worse. Stay tuned.
A Brief Explanation
Erectile Dysfunction is a disorder that is more prevalent as you age. The older you become, the higher your risk of developing ED. Erectile Dysfunction is characterized by the inability to get or form an erection that is firm enough for sexual intercourse. Other symptoms associated with this condition are the loss of libido, exhaustion, and added stress.
How Can I Develop Erectile Dysfunction?
Aside from getting older, a few lifestyle factors heavily contribute to your chances of developing ED. How you take care of yourself throughout your life can significantly determine the diseases and disorders you acquire. Having cardiovascular disease, being obese, or having diabetes can also increase your risk of forming Erectile Dysfunction in your lifetime.
Stress
Your Erectile Dysfunction might worsen if you are stressed all the time. Stress affects nearly every system in the human body. If you are a person who is chronically stressed, your mind feels the effects, and your body responds. Anxiety can lead to asthma attacks and other breathing issues for the respiratory system. The cardiovascular system can react by increasing heart rate and blood pressure. The Gastrointestinal System can exhibit symptoms such as bloating, upset stomach, or a change in gut bacteria. Stress can lead to difficulty swallowing food, acid reflux, or gas. Bowels exhibit stress by passing digested food as either diarrhea or constipation. Highly stressed individuals may be more prone to chronic bowel disorders such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Stress can have altering effects within the Reproductive System, such as a decrease in sex drive or a drop in testosterone levels; this can lead to issues such as Erectile Dysfunction or impotence.
Diet
Not taking care of your body and failing to eat nutritious food can make your Erectile Dysfunction worse. Use your resources wisely by purchasing and preparing food that is healthy for you. Think about whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, and regularly include lean protein sources. Avoid foods that are high in soy and any high consumption of pre-packaged snacks or quick meals. Here are three foods that will help you increase your chances of avoiding the onset of Erectile Dysfunction:
1.Pistachios
Pistachios contain healthy fats and antioxidants that can have positive effects on ED.
2.Watermelon
Watermelon is an excellent source of Lycopene. Lycopene has been shown to improve symptoms of ED.
3.CaCao
Cacao is high in flavonoids which have a positive impact on symptoms of ED.
Exercise
Moving your body is never a bad idea, and exercising can help prevent your ED from getting worse. The benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the sacrifice and grit it takes every day to show up for yourself. You can see the benefits of exercise easily because most of them are physical. It is easier to see a tangible result than to feel one. With that said, the mental effects of a consistent exercise routine are priceless.
Here are 5 things you can do now to improve your exercise habits:
1.Find an accountability partner.
By finding someone else who is also equally motivated to boost their exercise regime, you increase your chances of success. When you have someone to keep you accountable outside of yourself, you are more likely to show up to the gym on days when you would rather hit snooze.
2.Plan your schedule
Take the hassle out of trying to squeeze in a workout every day. Find a consistent time in your day that you can set aside for exercise. Consider early morning before you head to work, during your lunch break, or after you clock out. Whatever time works for you, set it and keep that commitment to yourself. A solid schedule to shoot for is 3-5 days a week for 30 -45 minutes at a time.
3.Find something you love to do.
Exercising takes a lot of mental fortitude, even more so when you are trying to complete a workout that you hate. Exercise does not have to be grueling or boring. Take some time to find out what you like to do. Do you show up better for yourself if you are in a class with other people, doing the same activity? Do you need personal one on one training and accountability? How do you like running? What about kickboxing or weight lifting? There are so many options that you can explore to find something that you actually enjoy doing. If you are excited to exercise, your chances of staying consistent skyrocket.
4.If you fall off, get back on.
How many times have you started to learn a new skill, develop a good habit, or begin an exercise program, only to find that a few weeks later you miss a few days and say, “darn it all, I have missed too much, I quit?” Probably more than you want to admit- and that’s ok. Although it can take some mental toughness, starting over doesn’t have to be a negative thought process. Getting back up immediately after falling off schedule is a key part of your success. If you miss a few days, treat it as a rest and start again.
5.Consistency is the magic word.
You will not be successful with anything you do in your life if you are not consistent. Take your job, for example. If you are not consistently on time, you start your work late and develop bad habits. Maybe your boss skips over you for that next promotion. Or think about something as simple as watering your plants. If you stop watering them regularly, they can shrivel up and die. Every habit, system, function, or action in your life needs consistency to thrive. Use it to your benefit.
Now let’s talk about a different form of exercise. Not the kind you do every day to improve your overall health and physique. The exercises we are referring to here are specific to helping your Erectile Dysfunction symptoms. Now, exercising, in general, does impact your sexual health. It has been shown that exercise can boost testosterone levels in men. But let’s talk about sexual health exercises. We refer specifically to exercises that strengthen the muscles and surrounding areas that deal with reproductive health. The University Of West in the UK performed a study where it found that performing Kegel exercises helped 40% of men with ED regain their normal function or improve their function and symptoms. You might have thought that only women do kegel exercises to prepare for childbirth or regain use of their pelvic floor. Although this is true, men can also perform and benefit from kegel exercises to strengthen their pelvic floor. For men, specifically, performing these exercises aids in improving the use of the bulbocavernosus muscle. This muscle’s function is to aid the penis with filling up with blood for an erection, aids in ejaculation and empties the urethra after urinating.
Here are tips on how you can start using Kegel exercises at home to improve your ED symptoms from getting worse:
- Mid urination, try stopping your stream. Do this a few times each time you use the bathroom to exercise the helpful muscles. Do these exercises by urinating, then holding for 5 seconds, then continuing to urinate. Do this 10-20 times at least 2-3 times each day.
- Try these exercises when not urinating and in different positions. You can lay down with your knees up, sit in a chair, or stand up. The same conditions apply to the frequency of action.
By completing the above exercises, your ED symptoms will improve, and your overall sexual experience as well.
Sleep
Let’s face it. If you are a human being on earth- you are not getting enough sleep. There are several factors that can affect the quality of sleep you get each night. They are as follows:
- An Unfamiliar Sleep Environment
- Temperature- Too Hot or Too Cold
- Racing Thoughts
- Late Electronic Use
- Getting Up To Use The Bathroom
These are just a few of the many factors that could be affecting your sleep quality. Now is the time to take responsibility for your sleep habits so you can start to improve them. There is a solid link between sleep deprivation and Erectile Dysfunction. Count on your hands how many hours of sleep you get each night. Individuals who sleep less than eight hours have lower circulation and Testosterone levels than those who consistently get eight or more hours of sleep each night.
Libido
Sexual libido can ebb and flow throughout your relationships and your life. That can be a normal part of growing older. If you notice your libido is starting to take a steep decline compared to what you are used to, your Erectile Dysfunction might be getting worse. Erectile Dysfunction can cause a myriad of symptoms, one of which is stress. Stress can also cause a decline in interest in sex, so you tend to have less with your partner. If communication is not open, this may cause some added relationship stress, leading to more loss of libido. And so, the cycle continues. If you notice your sex drive has changed, there are a few things you can do to take action.
- Have open lines of communication with your partner.
- Think of additional ways you can connect while tending to your low libido.
- Find a couples therapist or counselor to work through the difficulties.
When you take the initiative, you have a better chance of nipping the decline in the bud and improving your relationship and your symptoms all in one shot.
Inability To Have Sex Increases
As a human being in a relationship, experiencing times when you can’t have an erection or have difficulty doing so is not uncommon. Given that, there has likely been some point in life where you can recall unexpectedly struggling with this situation. The mind is a powerful thing. Stress, relationship issues, personal trauma you are working through can all play a role in the psychological aspect of sexual interest and having an erection. Sometimes you are just not mentally capable, and that’s ok. If you notice that this happens more than 50% of the time for you, your Erectile Dysfunction might be getting worse. In this case, you would want to seek professional help to find solutions to some of the issues you are having.
Visit Genesys Men’s Health . At Genesys Men’s Health, we care about your sexual health and have resources here to help you on your journey. If you are experiencing symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction and need additional resources and help, there are also free resources available on our website that can get you started. Take our free ED Self Test. This is a short quiz that will ask you some questions with scenarios unique to Erectile Dysfunction and have you answer on a frequency basis. Once submitted, your test will be reviewed by one of our doctors and you will be able to get your results. You can visit us in person at our office located in Sandy, Utah, or you can give us a call at (801) 671-7456. Contact us today.