Sexual problems might mean you have a broken heart, literally. The most common sexual problem in men is erectile dysfunction (ED). Erectile dysfunction affects >30% of men between 40 and 70 years of age. There are several different causes of ED, including depression, low testosterone, neurological problems, and some medications, such as beta blocker but the most common cause is a problem with the blood vessels called atherosclerosis.
Erectile dysfunction is frequently a sign of atherosclerosis, that can be the first clue to heart disease in men. It usually comes 3 to 5 years before a heart attack, so after ED is diagnosed, there is time to treat atherosclerosis and prevent a heart attack.
Sexual Activity and Cardiovascular Disease
Decreased sexual activity and function are common in patients with CVD and are often interrelated to anxiety and depression. In fact research has proved that there is a strong link between erectile dysfunction and heart disease. Studies have shown that if a man has ED, he has a greater risk of having heart disease. For instance, in one study, 57% of men who had bypass surgery and 64% of men hospitalized for a heart attack had had ED.
Several having ED can predict that a man will probably have heart disease symptoms within five years. In fact, having ED is as much a risk factor for heart disease as a history of smoking or a family history of coronary artery disease.
The Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Programme (SHEEP) study of post-MI patients (50% women) found that those who were sedentary had a higher risk of MI with sexual activity (relative risk 4.4) than did those who were physically active (relative risk 0.7).
How is the Heart and ED Related?
Deposition of cholesterol in the arteries causing atherosclerosis is taken as the most important reason for ED as the plaque formation reduces the blood flow in the penis, thereby affecting the erection process. However the latest studies show that ED is also due to the dysfunction of the inner lining of the blood vessels (endothelium) and smooth muscle. This causes inadequate blood supply to the heart and the penis which also aids in arthrosclerosis. Hence ED and heart disease are found to be inter related.
What to do?
If you are suffering from ED or heart disease , it is best to discuss your concerns with a specialist - for the heart a cardiologist and for the ED a urologist.

How Erectile Dysfunction and Cardiac Problems are Related

Link between Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation

Erectile Dysfunction is the inability of a man to achieve a penetrable erection while premature ejaculation is a man's inability to take control of his ejaculations during or before sexual intercourse. These conditions are two of the most common sexual dysfunctions observed among men. The prevalence of these two conditions can be found among all socioeconomic groups and among men of varying ages.

The incidence of premature ejaculation is higher and hence more common among both young and old men. Studies show that an estimated 40% of men suffer from the condition of premature ejaculation. On the other end, research also reveals that erectile dysfunction is associated with advancing age though a host of other factors like diabetes, kidney and heart diseases and certain medications can also be responsible.

How are these two conditions actually related?

It is found that in most men who have been primarily diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, the secondary concern has been premature ejaculation. The reason for both the problems is more or less the inadequate flow of blood to the penis required for a penetrable erection.

Moreover, in some cases, it was found that premature ejaculation occurred when a person was diagnosed with both mild and acute erectile dysfunction. In a similar manner, it was found that among men who suffered from ED and required constant stimulation to maintain a penetrable erection found out the instances of occurrence of premature ejaculation was high.

In some cases, it was found that the chief cause of erectile dysfunction was premature ejaculation. Because of these reasons, the two conditions are often found to co-exist and overlap one another.

In cases where both the conditions exist, treatment for ED is recommended to be sought first.

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What is the Link between Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation?

Ayurvedic Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction in men is the condition that signifies the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. Also known as impotence, it creates a great problem for a man and his partner in terms of sexual function.

The cause of erectile dysfunction can be physical, medical, or psychological in nature. Sexual prowess and libido in men are affected by various systems of the body and the mind.

Some of the most commonly occurring causes are:

- Old age
- Stress and anxiety
- Addiction to nicotine and alcohol
- Narcotics abuse
- Physical injuries
- Nervous disorders
- Diabetes
- Obesity and high cholesterol
- Cardiac disease and heart complications

How does Ayurveda provide relief from this problem?

Treatment methods used for erectile dysfunction depend on the specific cause and nature of the condition. Ayurveda provides an effective remedy to the problem of impotence through long-established healing methods. Ayurvedic treatment makes use of traditional herbal medicine that cures the condition and prevents it from reoccurring.

In Ashtanga Ayurveda, sexual dysfunction is treated through medication composed of vajikarana herbs. 'Vaji' is the Sanskrit word for a horse, which is an age-old symbol of virility and sexual potency. These herbs have been conventionally used to cure conditions related to erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, lack of libido and male infertility.

A few herbs used in vajikarana therapy for treating erectile dysfunction are as follows:

- Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)
- The 'panchaule' orchid (Dactylorhiza hatagirea)
- Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum)
- Kali Musli (Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.)

Scientific tests and studies have shown that these ayurvedic herbs are effective in providing a remedy for the problem of impotence in men. This form of therapy takes a holistic approach  treating and curing the symptoms of erectile dysfunction by eliminating the root cause of the problem. The greatest advantage of this treatment method is that there are no side effects. Relapses of the condition also do not occur.

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Ayurvedic Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction

Peyronie's disease is a problem predominantly found in 3-9% of adult men, especially after 40 years of age. In the disease, a scar tissue is formed in the outer layer of the penis called tunica albuginea. Scar tissue is a just plaque inside the penis.

Peyronie's disease causes the penis to bend sideways or upwards and can make sex become difficult due to deformity and erection may be a painful process. It is usually associated with erectile dysfunctions, severe anxiety and reduced testosterone levels. It is worth noting that there are treatments for peyronie's disease, however, the pain often goes away on its own, generally, in 6-18 months of onset, but the deformity stays.

Here is everything you need to know about this disease:

Causes
It is not known exactly what causes peyronie's disease, however, there are some factors, which make it more likely than others. Here are those factors:

1. Trauma: this is the most common factor which causes peyronie's disease. It is believed that when someone suffers from tiny bleeding of the penis, which is very common in patients of diabetes, the plaque starts to build up. The injury or trauma, which causes the bleeding may go unnoticed as well.
2. Genes: genes are also a possible cause of peyronie's disease.

Symptoms
The symptoms of peyronie's disease vary, such as:
1. Pain on erection: there is usually pain in erection during the initial phase.
2. Bent penis: when the penis becomes hard before sex, it may bend downwards or sideways by more than 15 degree, so the vaginal entry becomes impossible or is painful for the partner.
3. Scars: tissue may form on other parts of the body, as well including the hand and feet. In fact, it has been said that men who have scarring in the hand, which affect the fingers are more likely to contract the disease as well.
One may see extensive scarring in hands in a disease called dupuytren's contracture. 

Treatment
1. Wait &amp; watch: it is worth noting the acute phase with pain is treated by wait and watch, controlling contributory factors like diabetes, low testosterone and psychogenic factors. Antioxidants are useful. Large number of cases are relieved of the pain in 1 to 1.5 years.
2. Intralesional injection: if the bend is significant enough to interfere in sexual functioning, it can be treated by injecting medicines in the plaque. The medicine, xiaflex is currently not available in india and other medicines given are not very effective.
3. Surgery: this is a last option when peyronie's disease has not gone on it's own and medicines are not helping either. The two most common procedures performed are removing the plaque and putting a tissue graft in its place and also removing the tissue opposite the plaque to counter the bending effect. The results are fairly good.

Going for a penile implant is the last option, which is a permanent solution and is commonly done in india. And, the success rate for penile implant is also very high.

Peyronie's Disease: About Bent Penis

In some cases, psychological factors rather than physical incapability plays a vital role in causing Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Child abuse or any instance of sexual trauma is considered as one of the root causes of Erectile Dysfunction. Other than this, there are numerous factors like a person s emotional health and well-being can also be a direct reason behind Erectile Dysfunction.

The psychological causes of Erectile Dysfunction are

Pressure: Constant exposure to stress due to work load, difficulties in married life, parenting issues, financial issues can be a major reason behind erectile dysfunction.
Guilt: The pressure of satisfying a new sexual partner may become so overpowering that it may result in poor sexual performance. This may lay seeds of guilt in a person and hamper his emotional health.
Anxiety: If a person erectile droop at any instance, fear may creep in that it can occur again. This situation opens door for  performance anxiety  and may cause erectile dysfunction in the long run.
State of Depression: Even a person who performs normally during sexual intercourse can suffer from erectile dysfunction if he is in depression. Depression poorly hinders a person s emotional health and cause a series of psychological as well as physical problems. The drugs taken during depression may even facilitate erectile dysfunction.
Loss of interest in sex: Reasons behind this can be growing age, disputes with partner, any kind of stress or certain medications.
Loss of Self-confidence: Failure in previous attempts for sexual intercourse, feeling of insufficiency in sex life may lead to loss of self-confidence. This can be one of the deciding factors behind erectile dysfunction.
Remedy 

Occurrence of erectile droop once or twice is quite common among men. There is nothing to be worried about. But if this problem persists, one shall consult a sexologist. Few tips to prevent and cure erectile dysfunction are as follows: 

One needs to open up and discuss such issues with his partner as well as his physician. If the cause of erectile dysfunction is poor emotional health, then he can undergo some therapy. Some stress releasing exercises or meditation can help you gain control over your mind.
One can take some pills like Viagra and prevail over psychological impediments. It helps to boost up one s confidence while performing any sexual act.
Try to remain fit and fine. Exercise daily to shed any extra weight. Avoid drinking and smoking and take a healthy diet. Take adequate sleep (about 7 hours in night) and get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly.
All the above tips help in maintaining your physical as well as psychological health. Follow them and get cured of erectile dysfunction.

Erectile Dysfunction - Psychological Causes + Remedies

Zinc and erectile dysfunction

Zinc is a naturally occurring metallic element. Certain types of vegetable, meats and seafood are rich in zinc.

Erectile dysfunction is a man's inability to achieve a penetrable erection. It is one of the most common sexual problems faced by men of all ages. Zinc helps the body to produce testosterone and thus the levels of zinc in a person's body may affect erectile dysfunction.

A host of factors ranging from nutritional deficiency to clinical depression can lead to the condition. In recent years, deficiency of zinc has been found to be the cause of ed. Apart from producing testosterone, zinc is used for metabolism purposes, DNA and protein production and cell division.

Most studies related to male infertility show a clear concise relationship between zinc and ed. During a study some young men were given a diet which included very little amounts of zinc and thus they developed a zinc deficiency. When testosterone levels were measured after 20 weeks of low-zinc diet it was found that the level of the hormone had drastically reduced. The study also found that in elderly men, with an increase in the uptake of zinc, testosterone levels nearly doubled.

Research on animals established the fact that relationship rats who were given 5 milligrams of zinc supplement a day, were found to be sexually active to a greater extent. It concluded that zinc had an impact in the arousal and maintaining of an erection in men.

Zinc deficiency can also reduce the sense of smell in person. A sense of smell is vital to libido, especially more in young men. Thus, it can cause a person to lose the ability to detect certain chemicals that stimulate arousal.

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Related Tip: Knowing Erectile Dysfunction. PART 2: Management and Treatment

Zinc and Erectile Dysfunction - How is it related?

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