Diabetes Over View

Male Diabetics And Their Sex Life

As soon as men are diagnosed with diabetes they start worrying that the disease will put an end to their blissful sex life. The bad news is that the disease may, indeed, impair erections! But this is only one side of the coin. The good news is that complications in sex life are by no means inevitable and if it occurs, there is no need to dread because several safe and effective treatments are available. With the right kind of treatment any man can enjoy a good sex life despite diabetes.

Some Myths about "Impotence"

Colloquially, “impotence” means that penis has called quits and an impotent man is either unable to raise an erection and if at all he manages to produce one, he can’t sustain it long enough to have an intercourse. Now hear this! This conception is absolutely baseless. Very rarely do men with diabetes suffer total erection loss. Infact erection difficulties are extremely rare in men who have diabetes until their mid-30s. If impairment problem develops, it begins as a minor problem and may take years to become severe, if it ever does. And you’ll be surprised to know that even men with spinal cord injuries often retain some erectile function.

Is Diabetes related "Impotence" Psychological or Physical?

Until about 25 years ago, the sex experts attributed that the erection problems in men due to diabetes were 90% psychological and only 10 per cent physical. But today, the pendulum of scientific opinion has swung the other way and experts agree that physical problems account for at least 50% of the sexual problems. Among men with diabetes the estimates tend to go even higher and the disease accounts for up to 90 per cent diabetes-related erection impairment. But in a rush to pin the blame on diabetes itself, many professionals and people with diabetes overlook the possibility of psychological factors in diabetes related erection impairment.

In a nutshell, it can be said that while diabetes-related erection problems are almost always attributed to physical complications of the disease, psychological factors contribute significantly.

Who's the Culprit?

What is needed to effect an erection? Well, healthy and intact nervous and circulatory systems! Wondering how? It’s like this! Your circulatory system supplies the blood that fills the spongy erectile tissue inside the penis that in turn produces an erection. The role of the nervous system is to enable you to respond to sexual stimulation. And the nervous system does this by opening the arteries thus increasing blood flow into the penis. As an erection develops, and the penis becomes enlarged, the blood vessels that carry blood out of the penis become somewhat compressed, reducing outflow, which helps maintain erection until orgasm.

Diabetes may cause either nerve damage or damage to the circulatory system particularly to the blood vessels that supply blood to the penis. So who’s the culprit? This topic has been a subject of hot debate among the researchers who have spent good deal of time arguing about which system is the main cause of diabetes related impairment. Some studies pinpoint the nervous system while other studies blame the circulatory system. However one thing is certain, the impairment of both the nervous and circulatory system is caused by poor blood glucose control.

Other Factors causing Diabetes related Erection Problems!!!

In addition to poor blood glucose control other risk factors for erection impairment are as following:

Duration of diabetes: The men who have had diabetes for a long time are at greater risk of erection impairment.

Diabetes related complications: As mentioned earlier, diabetes can harm the nervous and the circulatory systems that play a direct role in causing erection. So neuropathy and cardiovascular disease increases risk of erection impairment.

Use of blood-pressure medication: Some of the medication used to treat high blood pressure may, as a side effect, impair your erection. Incase you start to suffer from this problem after the initiation of a new drug therapy please let your doctor know.

Lifestyle and other diseases: Just remember diabetes does not condemn any man to erection problems. A concomitant disease like a heart problem, which is common with diabetics, may also be a contributing factor. There could be other factors involved as well. These could include intake of alcohol, drug abuse, depression, stress, a stormy relationship, pre-occupation with performance etc.

Treatment

Control your glucose level: It is indeed the most important part of diabetes management. More stable your blood glucose levels, less the chances of developing complications.

Stay active: Exercise has insulin like effect. It helps the muscles pick up glucose from the blood. Also in addition to helping men with diabetes, exercise in general reduces stress, serves as a natural antidepressant and contributes to the health of the arteries that supply blood to the penis.

Watch your diet: High fat diet raises your cholesterol level that in turn raises the risk of erection impairment. Increase the fiber content in your food. This reduces the rate at which the sugars are absorbed in to your body thus preventing any major fluctuations in blood glucose levels.

Fagging and Boozing should be a taboo: Smoking leads to cardiovascular disease and people with diabetes are particularly susceptible to it. Keep alcohol consumption to a bare minimum.

Be wary of drugs: When you fill any prescription or buy any over-the-counter drug, ask your pharmacist if it might cause erection problems.

Age gracefully: It is imperative to understand the effects of ageing. Just understand that men can have erections no matter how old they are and this even includes men with diabetes. However, what you need to understand is that as you age your erections tend to become less firm and full. But there is no need to fret! These changes are absolutely normal and won’t terminate your sex life. The wise thing would be to understand the effects of the passage of time and make a few changes in your lovemaking accordingly. Just be patient with your body, especially after your 40th birthday. Diabetes and other chronic diseases neither eliminate sexual desire nor preclude lovemaking. They may, however, force you to make some changes in bed.