Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition whereby a man can’t attain or sustain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Experts estimate that nearly half of all men aged 40 to 70 experience erectile dysfunction (ED) to some extent.

Erectile dysfunction can be of two categories: occasional and persistent. Occasional ED occurs when a man fails to attain or sustain an erection less than 20% of the time, while persistent ED is when the figure shoots up to more than 50%.

When discussing erectile dysfunction, we refer only to the persistent category since nearly all males experience occasional ED due to stress, overthinking, anxiety, and other related causes. Plus, occasional ED can often be solved without medical help by simply tracing the cause and controlling it, e.g., reducing your stress levels, avoiding overthinking, etc.

Persistent ED, also called impotence, can result from one or more underlying physical or mental health conditions and can threaten a relationship’s success. Experts have linked impotence to issues such as:

• Vascular disease: insufficient blood supply to the penis caused by atherosclerosis or other conditions.
• Neurological disorders: damaging of the nerve that sends impulses to the pens due to stroke, diabetes, etc.
• Psychological issues: depression, stress, anxiety, and others can dramatically reduce the desire for sex and cause persistent ED
• Peyronie’s disease: the presence of fibrous scar tissues in the penis, which can make erection painful.
• Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Damage to the pelvic area due to injury or surgery
• Testosterone deficiency

Erectile dysfunction can potentially ruin a relationship in several ways, such as making males feel:

• Depressed
• Angry
• lacking in confidence
• less masculine
• Infertile
• socially isolated
• the desire to avoid their spouse

Erectile dysfunction can as well affect the emotional well-being of a person’s partner by making them feel unattractive, anxious, dissatisfied, unwanted, and confused. Some people become suspicious that their partners may be fulfilling their sexual needs elsewhere, which is why they aren’t sexually attracted to them.

When such feelings and thoughts rule a relationship, both parties tend to argue and fight more frequently, even over the least important things. Over time, they grow tired of each other’s company and begin to avoid one another, and that eventually ruins the relationship.

Finding a Lasting Solution

The corresponding treatment required to solve your ED challenge depends on the cause. Some of the commonly recommended solutions include:

1. Herbs

Men whose ED issues are due to insufficient blood flow throughout the body (and to the penis) often need to incorporate specific foods into their diet to boost blood flow. These herbs have been used for centuries to enhance blood circulation and offer other health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure, lowering anxiety, and treating cardiovascular issues. Examples of the herbs you should take are:

· bacopa (Bacopa monnieri)

· ginger (Zingiber officinale)

· black pepper (Piper nigrum)

· cayenne (Capsicum annuum)

· chickweed (Stellaria media)

· butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus)

2. Sound Sleep

Being deprived of sound sleep for a long time can increase stress, cause poor circulation of blood, and lower testosterone levels. Testosterone is a crucial sex hormone that regulates the male sex drive and helps in developing reproductive tissues.

The body needs a good amount of testosterone and oxygen to attain and sustain an erection, and sleep disorders or long-term sleep debts can negatively impact this hormone and lead to ED. Moreover, sleep debts can give rise to a host of other health issues that can contribute to ED, including diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, etc.

Regular quality sleep can help slowly restore your system’s normalcy and gradually improve your sex drive over time.

3. Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Testosterone deficiency can be due to factors like aging and obesity, while some individuals experience this condition right from birth, i.e., inherited. Individuals in such situations can boost their testosterone levels and subsequently improve ED with testosterone replacement therapy.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy is a form of therapy where testosterone is replaced in the body exogenously. The treatment helps to significantly boost men’s sex drive and improve the desire for sexual activity, thus saving relationships from crashing due to ED.

Replacing testosterone can also bring about other benefits to the body, such as increasing bone density and strength, enhancing hair growth, and developing muscle.

Some people choose not to speak about their erectile dysfunction and simply live with frustration because they feel it’s normal. The truth is, it’s not. You can get help with testosterone replacement therapy or other treatments by speaking with a medical specialist to gain more insight into your challenge./