Can Asthma Impact Penis Health?

Can Asthma Impact Penis Health?

Asthma is one of the more common ailments, affecting some 25 million men, women and children in the United States alone. It's clearly a concern for many people, affecting their respiratory health to varying degrees. But what about penis health? Is there any reason to think that asthma might have some impact in this area? The answer is, to a degree, yes.

About asthma

Asthma is a condition in which the pathways that carry air get narrower and wider, rather than remaining a fairly consistent size. When this happens, it's more difficult to breathe, and a person may experience side effects like coughing or wheezing. Asthma can be very mild and cause almost no complications for a person, or it can be more severe, in some cases creating significant health concerns. About 1,700,000 U.S. hospitals visits every year are due to asthma, and about 3,500 people in the U.S. pass away annually from asthma or asthma-related issues.

When a person has a severe case of asthma, it may impede their ability to play sports, walk long distances, climb stairs or engage in other physical activities. Asthma reactions may be triggered by an allergic reaction, by exercise or by exposure to chemicals or dust. Many people treat asthma through the use of an inhaler, which sends chemicals into the body to help return air pathways to normal.

The penis health connection

So if asthma affects the lungs and air pathways, why in the world should they have any impact on a man's penis health?

One reason is because there is a clear (though poorly understood) link between asthma and heart disease. According to one study, a person with active asthma is more than twice as likely to develop heart disease than a person without asthma. And heart disease has a clear effect on penis health. When the heart does not function at its proper level, blood does not flow as it should, which can have an effect on the penis' ability to become erect. In addition, some doctors believe that medications used to treat asthma may have a link with increasing the likelihood of cardiac issues.

In addition, some of the chemical inhalants which contribute to asthma are thought to raise bad cholesterol levels, which can also impact heart health.

What about beyond heart health, however? Is there another asthma connection to penis health?

According to some scientists, there is. There appears to be evidence that testosterone levels might be lower in men with asthma. This, however, appears to be not so much a result of the asthma itself as it is of treatment for the disease. Corticosteroids are often used to help treat asthma, and corticosteroids work by raising levels of cortisol in the body. When cortisol goes up, testosterone tends to go down. In turn, lower levels of testosterone are associated with a decreased sex drive and with some potential erectile issues.

One other area of impact: asthma simply drains one's physical stamina. This may make it more difficult to sustain an erection; even if the erection is maintained, it may be more difficult to go through the physical rigors involved in sexual engagement.

Men who feel that asthma or its treatment may be affecting their penis health should discuss this with their doctor to develop strategies to address it.

Asthma is not the only deterrent to penis health, of course, so men need to take steps to maintain appropriate care. One easy way is to regularly use a superior penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin.) The best crème will include l-arginine, an amino acid which helps increase nitric oxide; this in turn helps keep penile blood vessels open and receptive to increased blood flow. Try to find a crème that also includes vitamin B5. Also known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B5 is a vital nutrient that is required for cell metabolism and maintaining healthy tissue.