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Pay attention to your vascular health. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides can all damage arteries in the heart causing heart attack , in the brain causing stroke , and leading to the penis causing ED.
An expanding waistline also contributes. Check with your doctor to find out whether your vascular system — and thus your heart, brain, and penis — is in good shape or needs a tune-up through lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medications. Size matters, so get slim and stay slim.
Losing weight can help fight erectile dysfunction, so getting to a healthy weight and staying there is another good strategy for avoiding or fixing ED. Obesity raises risks for vascular disease and diabetes, two major causes of ED. And excess fat interferes with several hormones that may be part of the problem as well. Move a muscle, but we're not talking about your biceps. A strong pelvic floor enhances rigidity during erections and helps keep blood from leaving the penis by pressing on a key vein.
In a British trial, three months of twice-daily sets of Kegel exercises which strengthen these muscles , combined with biofeedback and advice on lifestyle changes — quitting smoking, losing weight, limiting alcohol — worked far better than just advice on lifestyle changes.
If you smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting and whether prescription aids can help you.
The central nervous system is responsible for releasing nitric oxide, an essential chemical for producing and maintaining an erection, and heavy alcohol consumption depresses the central nervous system, causing it to function less efficiently. Not enough nitric oxide translates to erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction can occur as a side effect of medication taken for another health condition. Common culprits are high blood pressure meds, antidepressants , some diuretics, beta-blockers, heart medication, cholesterol meds, antipsychotic drugs, hormone drugs, corticosteroids, chemotherapy, and medication for male pattern baldness, among others.
For more on diagnosing, treating, and learning how to overcome ED, buy What to do about Erectile Dysfunction, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical. Man smiling looking at woman in bed Try these six ways — from walking 2 miles to drinking watermelon juice — to naturally overcome erectile.
If you think your medication might be causing ED, talk to your doctor, but don't discontinue using it on your own. Some medication must be tapered off under a doctor's supervision. Research is mixed on the effectiveness of acupuncture as an erectile dysfunction cure, but one study published in November in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that acupuncture can be beneficial for men experiencing erectile dysfunction as a side effect of antidepressants , including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors SNRIs.
Sexual side effects of these drugs happen to at least half of all people taking them, and by some counts up to 90 percent. Two natural erectile dysfunction treatments that have shown promise are red ginseng and pomegranate juice.
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Diagnosis Your doctor might perform a combination of different exams to determine if you have erectile dysfunction ED. Erectile Dysfunction Erectile Dysfunction: Diet and Home Remedies Diet, lifestyle, and home remedies may help prevent or treat erectile dysfunction ED. Treatment A variety of treatment options are available for men with erectile dysfunction ED.
A tip to cope with this is to focus the mind on the senses instead. In addition to general exercise, specific exercises may also help symptoms. Sexual side effects of these drugs happen to at least half of all people taking them, and by some counts up to 90 percent. Hit a baseball as far as you once could? A diet rich in fruit, veggies, whole grains, and fish, and with fewer servings of red meat and refined grains, decreases the risk for ED. This, in turn, can lead to erectile dysfunction ED , which is difficulty getting or keeping an erection. A fascinating new study demonstrates that simply being told we have a genetic risk can alter the way our body behaves, even if the risk does not exist.
Medication Oral medication is often the first choice for treating erectile dysfunction ED. Symptoms and Causes The most obvious symptom of erectile dysfunction ED is not being able to get an erection.
Erectile Dysfunction Generic Viagra: What Does It Mean for You? The little blue pill is expected to go generic in December Erectile Dysfunction A Man's Guide to Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction can be devastating to a man's sense of self, whether it's caused by physical or emotional causes. Learn about available treatment Erectile Dysfunction Drugs to Treat Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction can have many causes, but medications including Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra are often the recommended treatment.
New study suggests a connection, but some doubt 'flavonoids' are an impotence remedy.