Facing erectile dysfunction can be a daunting experience, impacting both your physical and emotional well-being. Fortunately, effective treatments are available to address this common concern. In this blog post, we will be sharing the various options used to treat erectile dysfunction. From lifestyle changes to medical interventions, we’ll discuss some effective solutions that can help individuals regain control over their sexual health.
What is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is a medical condition characterised by either the inability to form an erection or keep an erection long enough to have sex. It often results from factors that affect an individual physically, psychologically and their lifestyle too. Erectile dysfunction can significantly impact one’s self esteem, relationships and overall quality of life.
Here are some treatment options to manage erectile dysfunction:
Lifestyle changes
There are many lifestyle adjustments you can make to improve erectile dysfunction. These are:
Exercising
Exercising is not only beneficial for improving erectile dysfunction, but your general health too. You can begin by moderately exercising 2 to 3 times a week by going on walks, playing sports or running. This can then slowly be increased to around 30 minutes of exercise 4-5 times week. This improves circulation to your penis, and strengthens and supports the heart so it can pump blood better when resting. Improving the blood flow also increases sensitivity too.
Eating healthy
It’s also important for your general health alongside erectile dysfunction that you are eating a healthy, balanced diet that involves food from all food groups. Additionally, eating healthy maintains a healthy weight too. Opt for foods like salmon that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which reduces inflammation and increases blood flow or leafy greens that reduce blood pressure.
Quitting smoking
When you smoke, you become vulnerable to issues such as decreased libido, sex drives and stamina. It can also contribute to a low sperm count. Smoking disrupts blood vessels around the penis and damages the lining of your blood vessels, affecting their overall function and ability to work efficiently. This occurs in the blood vessels around the penis, making it difficult for an erection to form.
Reducing stress
It’s normal to endure stress from time to time but prolonged periods of stress can cause chronic stress, resulting in erectile dysfunction. Stress can interrupt the signals and messages the brains ends to the penis to allow extra blood flow. Without these signals or messages, it can become tricky to maintain or form an erection. Where possible, reduce factors that could be causing you excessive stress. It can also reduce your sex drive and find your mind focusing on the stress rather than sexual activity.
Psychological treatments
Erectile dysfunction can be caused by underlying psychological issues that need to addressed. Here are some treatment methods that can aid in this:
Counselling
Counselling is an effective method that can help you find the underlying cause of erectile dysfunction. A counsellor can work with you to discuss factors and feelings that may be contributing to your erectile dysfunction as well as methods that can help you manage this condition independently.
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Alongside counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT is incredibly useful in managing erectile dysfunction. It is often a method used for issues like low esteem and loss of sexual arousal. For erectile dysfunction, a therapist will discuss your beliefs and expectations about sex and find any underlying thought patterns that you may associate with sex.
Medication & devices
There are numerous medications available that can be prescribed to aid your control over erectile function and devices you can buy too. These are:
Oral medication
A group of medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors are used to treat erectile dysfunction. This includes the medications Viagra and Spedra that work by promoting muscle relation and enhance blood flow to the penis.. This allows an individual to retain an erection during sex but these can only be used if you are sexually aroused.
Here at Be Well, we have a range of medications available for erectile dysfunction. Complete our quick and easy consultation today.