Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a very common problem, affecting millions of men across the globe. Unfortunately, many men suffer in silence out of shame and embarrassment.
ED can do a lot of damage to people’s self-confidence and can put a strain on otherwise perfectly healthy relationships. Thankfully, there’s plenty that can be done about it. In this article, you’ll learn about 3 key factors that go into combatting the issue!
Table of Contents
The Importance of Lifestyle Changes
Erectile dysfunction isn’t simply an isolated issue; your overall health plays a significant role in your ability to perform, so lifestyle interventions can actually make a huge difference.
Diet, exercise, and good sleep hygiene are considered the main pillars. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can do wonders for improving blood flow, and regular physical activity like jogging, biking, and swimming, enhances circulation to lower the risk.
Never underestimate the impact of sleep, as lack of adequate rest at night can present as a major factor determining the severity of ED. Meditation and mindfulness can help you relax at night, and you should limit your screen usage around bedtime as this can impact your circadian rhythm.
The Role of Medication
Medication is a highly effective solution for many men with ED: modern medicine now offers a range of different types of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors (the most common type of medication for improving blood flow) that can be tailored specifically to the individual.
They work by relaxing the blood vessels in the area and therefore enabling an increased blood flow during sexual arousal, usually working within the hour that they’re taken.
The most common types are Viagra (Sildenafil) and Cialis (Tadalafil), but there are also several others on the market. You can purchase these medications online via pharmacies such as kamagra-apotheke.com, so be sure to speak to a qualified medical professional to discover which type of medication is best for you.
On Therapy
Sometimes, a person’s ED stems mostly from a psychological origin, in which cases counseling and therapy can help. The issue might have occurred due to long-standing anxiety or depression, which can then be exacerbated by a relationship breakdown.
Commonly, for example, ED is the result of performance anxiety: a situation in which the person feels an immense amount of pressure to ‘perform’ to the point that they’re unable to.
These issues (and other forms of psychological ED) are often treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which works by tacking the relationship between negative thoughts and subsequent behaviors. This can help the sufferer to reframe their thoughts surrounding sex into something more positive.
Wrapping Up
Erectile dysfunction doesn’t have to be a lifelong problem, but the most important first step to overcoming it is that the person actually reaches out for help. Having done so, medical professionals, psychologists, and counselors can work together with them to get to the root cause of the issue.
It might not be easy at first, but if you’re suffering from ED yourself or are reading this on behalf of a loved one, know that there is always a way forward.
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