Dr. Pravin Acharya

Testosterone is the most important hormone that drives most of the male characteristics from their physique, stamina, energy, vigor, voice, to sexual performance. Higher the testosterone level, greater the masculine characteristics. It is no wonder then that most men want more testosterone flowing in their system. There are simple ways to increase testosterone flowing in your system; read on to know more.

1. Eat more fat: While staying away from fat is the most common thing to do when body building, remember that testosterone is mainly made of cholesterol. So, a diet rich in fat directly translates to more testosterone. Mono-saturated and saturated fats are proven to be extremely beneficial for good testosterone production. Red meat, eggs, coconut oil, dark chocolate, cheese, peanut butter, fish, avocados, almonds, olive oil are all proven to be highly beneficial in improving testosterone levels.
2. Include ingredients for testosterone: Include foods that are rich in zinc, vitamin D, D-aspartic acid, Di-indolyl-methane (DIM). Foods rich in zinc promote higher levels of testosterone production and so are advisable. Vitamin D is the most important vitamin in the production and availability of free testosterone in the body and is highly recommended for people wanting to have higher testosterone levels. D-aspartic acid is an amino acid that is essential for proper functioning of the neurotransmitters that control testosterone synthesis and release into the system.
3. Modified gym routine: Contrary to what most people may think, long hours in the gym does not help you stay in better shape. Regular, drawn-out workouts with long rest periods and too many exercises aimed at building endurance are not necessarily good for testosterone levels. Optimal duration is about an hour, after which cortisol levels (stress hormones) go up and testosterone levels go down. Shorter rest periods between sets are also shown to be more effective. Also, there are specific exercises and workouts which are aimed at improving the testosterone levels. These workouts could be aimed at the legs, arms, back, chest, or shoulders. These moderate to high-intensity protocols stress large muscle masses, which stimulate testosterone production.
4. Beat the stress: None of our lives are free of stress, but the trick lies in managing them well. Whether you have physical or mental stress, try and work on reducing it, by meditation, music, or any relaxation technique that works for you. Even cardio exercises, if not overdone, are a good way to relax. Try not to fatigue yourself during your workout. Have a well-balanced meal and a good sleep to manage stress better.

Talk to your instructor to know more about ways to improve testosterone production. Higher levels of testosterone take the quality of life to a different level.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. One out of every six people in the United States suffers from this disease. It is more common than you think. Like any other STD, it is extremely important to take proper protection (use a condom) while engaging in sexual activities.

Genital Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of herpes simplex virus.

1. HSV-1 is most commonly associated with blisters and ulcers around the mouth known as cold sores.
2. HSV-2 is associated with blistering lesions in genital areas that are exposed during sexual contact.

However, both types of herpes simplex virus can infect the mouth or the genital areas, meaning that genital contact with a cold sore on the mouth can lead to genital herpes. Likewise, kissing someone with a cold sore can spread the herpes simplex virus infection.

After the initial outbreak of herpes, the virus travels through the nerves and resides in nerve tissue within the body.

Most people with genital herpes don’t know they have it. That’s because in most people it produces either no symptoms or very mild ones.

Symptoms of Genital Herpes:

1. The area around your genitalia becomes red and cracked without any pain or itching.
2. Itching around your anal region
3. Blisters around your genitalia can cause immense pains when they break open.
4. Pain in the open sores while urination.
5. Headaches and backaches.
6. Flu and swollen lymph nodes are very common.
7. Fatigue is also felt if you suffer from genital herpes.

Symptoms like these can be mistaken for other infections such as vaginal yeast infections, bacterial infections and bladder infections. So, if you are suffering from such symptoms it is advisable to go in for a health check up followed by a physical exam and a blood test to confirm whether you have genital herpes or not.

How can it get spread?

You can only get Genital Herpes from vaginal intercourse and not anal or oral intercourse. The fluid present in the sore of a genital herpes patient has infected fluid. If the fluid comes in contact with their partner’s sexual organs while having intercourse they can be easily infected.

Can Symptoms Be Treated?

There is no cure for genital herpes. But the symptoms can be lessened and prevented with treatment. Treatment can also reduce the risk of infecting others.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe antiviral medications to help prevent or reduce the pain and discomfort from an outbreak of symptoms. Medication taken on a daily basis to suppress the virus can reduce the number of outbreaks and reduce the risk of infecting others

How to Avoid Getting Genital Herpes:

1. Try to have sex with people who have been tested negative for herpes or any other STDs.
2. Use a latex condom while having sex. It prevents any sort of liquid to pass inside your partner’s genitalia.

Severe pain during intercourse causes difficulty in a relationship in both partners. Sometimes a sustained occurrence of pain might be an indication of some serious medical dysfunction. As such, consult a doctor as soon as the pain arises. Contrary to popular beliefs, sexual pain can occur in both male and female.

In female, the reasons behind the painful sexual intercourse might be:

1. Vaginismus, a condition when the vaginal muscles tighten up mainly due to anxiety or fear and cause significant pain with a tearing sensation.
2. The pain can arise due to vaginal infection due to yeast or any form of sexually transmitted disease or pelvic inflammatory diseases.
3. A severe injury in the vagina during childbirth or any other accident and psychological stress can also cause severe pain during sex.
4. Sometimes, uterine or menopause problems (formation of fibroids in the uterus) can also cause pain.
5. Cyst formation in the ovary or endometriosis (when the inner tissue lining of the uterus tends to grow outside) can also cause severe pain during intercourse.

Among men:

1. Some men can experience pain during intercourse because of allergy to the fluids of the vagina or the chemical content of certain contraceptives.
2. You can experience pain because of undiagnosed sexually transmitted diseases like herpes or gonorrhea
3. The pain might also occur due to urinary tract infections or side effects from certain medications.
4. Severe pain just a few moments before ejaculation can be a result of inflammation of the prostate glands and should be immediately diagnosed as it might be a signal of prostate cancer.

For treating pain during sex in female, you should opt for the following procedures

1. If the pain is caused due to vaginal dryness after menopause, you should consider the application of prescribed lubricants or jellies to reduce the pain.
2. If the pain occurs due to severe anxiety or stress, sex therapy can help you improve physical intimacy.
3. If there are other symptoms like severe bleeding or irregular periods in addition to the pain, a visit to the physician is recommended.

Quite similarly in men

1. If the pain occurs due to severe anxiety or stress, sex therapy can help you improve physical intimacy.
2. If the pain results from side effects of certain medications, you should try changing your prescribed medication after doctor’s suggestion.
3. In extreme cases, the doctors might suggest hormone replacement surgery.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Premature ejaculation refers to the inability to retain the erection until the end of the intercourse and usually happens when the male ends up ejaculating sooner than planned, or immediately upon penetration. Premature ejaculation is a condition that many men suffer due to the advancement of age as well as low pelvic strength and other ailments. Also, it can be caused due to stress and panic regarding one's performance. Whatever be the cause, it is an embarrassing situation that calls for help if it persists for too long. Here are a few tips to ensure that you gain better control over premature ejaculation.

1. Deep breathing Exercise: Sometimes, too much of excitement can lead to a variety of problems including premature ejaculation. If this becomes a normal occurrence, you can try practicing deep breathing during the act of sex to calm yourself down and slow down the frenzy so that you are more attuned to your surroundings and partner rather than yourself and the panic you may be feeling. Taking deep and slow gulps of air can ensure that you focus on the act rather than getting caught up in the excitement.
2. Medications: there are broadly two kinds of medical treatments - local application anaesthetic gels that numb the area around the tip of penis and tablets that prolong ejaculation time. One needs to consult a sexologist, psychiatrist or a urologist to know more about them.
3. Stop and Start: This is a method that many sexologists recommend. The stop and start method is one that will have to be practiced individually so that you are able to retain more control over your ejaculation when you are with your partner. Basically, in this method, you are required to start the process of masturbation and stop just short of ejaculation. After doing this several times and on a regular basis, you will find that your brain reacts in the same way when you are having intercourse, which will delay the ejaculation to a normal period.
4. Kegel: If you thought that kegel exercises are only for women, then you need to think again. Premature ejaculation also signifies low pelvic strength for many cases and you would do well to invest time in a few exercises like the kegel, which will build up your pelvic strength so that you are able to control premature ejaculation in a better way.

Persistent problems that are not fixed with these methods should be addressed with a visit to a doctor.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

A normal healthy love life is as important as having a healthy body and mind. However, many men tend to have problems in maintaining a healthy love life due to the problem of impotence. A man is diagnosed as impotent when fails to get erection despite arousal or maintaining it during sexual intercourse.

Physical and mental impact If the failure to get erection / erectile dysfunction becomes a regular phenomenon, it can severely affect the person’s relationship status, not to mention his self-esteem. Sometimes, impotence might be an indication of a serious underlying condition.

Symptoms you might be suffering from male impotence if:

1. You are experiencing recurrent and significant trouble in order to get and subsequently maintain an erection.
2. You are suffering from a low sex drive for a long amount of time.
3. A combination of the both.

Solution

Either way, a consultation with the doctor might help to cure male impotence through a prescribed dosage of medications. In extreme cases, the doctor might prescribe an artificial replacement of testosterone within the body or even a surgery in order to normalize things.  If male impotence occurs due to psychological factors, sessions of counseling might help to improve the condition. If diagnosed and treated efficiently, male impotence is an easily curable condition.

Causes 

Causes of male impotence or erectile dysfunction might occur due to numerous physical or psychological factors. Some of the known causes of erectile dysfunction are as follows:

1. Underlying health issues: If you are suffering from major health disorders you may suffer from erectile dysfunction. Some of these could be
   • Hypertension
   • Diabetes
   • Obesity
   • Alzheimer’s disease
   • Parkinson’s disease
2. Medication and treatments: Erectile dysfunction might occur due to side effects of certain medications such as chemotherapy and blood pressure medications.
3. Excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco usage or drug abuse: These elements put many harmful elements within your body and may result in prostate cancer or surgery within the pelvic area. If anyone has recently undergone surgery to treat prostate cancer or other problems of the pelvic area, it may cause impotence as well.
4. Psychological trauma: Since the brain is one of the most important agents responsible for erections, any form of psychological trauma, anxiety or stress might trigger a dysfunction in the process as well.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Masturbation is very common and most people indulge in it at some stage or the other in their lives. With online content becoming the main research material, there are lots of myths about masturbation in both men and women. Read on to know some of the common myths and facts about this in males and females.

Myth vs. Fact #1: The common myth is that men who masturbate regularly will have erectile dysfunction. The reality is that the body gets used to certain types of touch, like your own hand or vibrations, and therefore achieving pleasure with a partner may require slight practice and time. It, however, does not cause erectile dysfunction per se. It is a common belief that people who masturbate are sexually exhausted and would not be able to perform when actually with a partner. This is not true, for as long as the person is stimulated and desires sex, they can indulge in it with no cap on the number of instances that a person can be involved in the act.

Myth vs. Fact #2: Indulging in masturbation is an abnormal part of sexual growth. Though most would not admit it, there are anonymous studies which reveal a large number of people (about 70% of the boys and 60% of the girls) in the age group of 15 to 18 indulge in masturbation. This indicates that it is a very normal part of growing up. Children should be educated that it is normal to touch and explore the genitals, but should know the limitations.

Myth vs. Fact #3: People in relationships do not masturbate. Whether single or in a relationship, people masturbate, and this does not mean they are unhappy in their relationships. Depending on the levels of sexual desire and stimulation, some would indulge in masturbation despite being in a healthy relationship with a partner. Some people could indulge in the act together, which also has benefits like avoiding pregnancy.

Myth vs. Fact #4: Masturbation has no good effects. Just as sex acts as a good stress buster, masturbation does too. The good health benefits of masturbation include better sleep, reduced levels of stress and tension, improved concentration, reduced headaches, increased self-esteem, and an overall happy being. In women, this also helps improve vaginal dryness, which is a major cause of painful vaginal sex.

Myth vs. Fact #5: Masturbation has emotional side effects. Over indulgence surely can affect work, school, or social life, but it is not true for everybody. If that is the case, the person requires counselling. Else, it is a part of normal growing up and does not cause any physical or mental problems. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Sexologist.