Daily stress can kill your sex life

Regular stress cannot just hamper your peace of mind, affect sleep and weaken your immunity, but prolonged periods of high stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure and cholesterol levels, leading to erectile dysfunction (ED) which will hamper your sex life, experts have warned.

ED is an inability to develop or maintain an erection during the sexual activity. It can have severe psychological consequences as it can limit your intimacy, affect your self-esteem and impact your most important relationship.

"Stress can be responsible for ED. It affects the psychological state of mind where stimulation may not result in erection even if other things are normal," explained Dr Vipin Tyagi, surgeon (Robotic and Kidney Transplant) at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

ED can happen to men at any age but the risk increases with age. The condition may also significantly increase the mental and emotional stress. Men often have a hard time coping with it.

According to Dr Ashish Sabharwal, a urologist with Fortis Escorts Hospital, common physical causes of ED includes cardiovascular diseases (CVD). And related conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome further increase the risk of ED.

The condition becomes chronic if left unattended for several years but early diagnosis and right treatment can prevent serious side effects like diabetes or cardio-vascular issues.

Oral medications can successfully treat ED in most of the men. Medications can also be injected directly into the penis. According to experts, testosterone replacement may be needed if ED is caused by low levels of testosterone.

"Hormone therapy or surgery can treat the physical causes of the problem and there are phallus pumps and penile implants available that can help get an erection," Rajeev Kumar added.

"In rare cases, vascular reconstructive surgery might be needed to improve blood flow to the penis," Rajeev Kumar stated.

Eating food rich in flavonoids such as blueberries, cherries, blackberries, radishes, blackcurrants, apples, pears and citrus products trims down the risk of erectile dysfunction in men, especially in those under 70, a collaborative study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Britain and Harvard University in the US recently revealed.

A combination of consuming flavonoid-rich foods with exercise can reduce the risk of ED by 21 per cent, the researchers said.

Erectile dysfunction can manifest in several ways. If you find that the time it takes for you to achieve an erection have increased significantly or you're having difficulty maintaining an erection long enough to have intercourse or the frequency of spontaneous erections has decreased, consult a doctor to check for ED.

The bottom line is: Do not hesitate to meet your doctor early to avoid embarrassment in bed.

By: Vivek Singh Chauhan