Is There a Link Between Hypertension and Sexual Health?

Hypertension, is a common medical condition and is known to impact the blood flow. It can impact the functioning of heart, kidneys and brain. But you may be surprised to know it can even impact your sexual health. It can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. Studies suggest that nearly 50% of men who have hypertension, have faced ED once in their lifetime.

High BP can impact sexual health in two ways:

• Affects the blood flow: Hypertension is the leading reason for damage to the arteries, including lining of the penis. This results in restricted blood flow in pelvic area causing ED.

• Hormonal imbalance: Other than impacting the blood flow, hypertension is also known to create an hormonal imbalance. It decreases the level of testosterone, a hormone that is responsible for sexual arousal.

Other than high BP, some medicines like thiazide, diuretics and beta-blockers can also cause ED. This is a common side effect of medicines that are used to treat hypertension.

How to reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction?

The best way to prevent the complications of hypertension is by keeping a check on your blood pressure levels. You can do that by following a healthy lifestyle. Some of the lifestyle changes that you can add in your routine are:

• Eating healthy: You should include fruits, green leafy vegetables, and whole grain cereals. It is also important to reduce the amount of salt in your diet, to keep a check on increased BP levels.

• Maintaining a healthy weight: By maintaining a healthy weight you can reduce the risk of all the complications caused by hypertension

• Regular exercise: Daily exercise can help in improving the blood flow and avoiding the risk of any further complications

• Limit consumption of alcohol: Consumption of alcohol increases the risk of cardiac problems as well as ED.

• Avoid tobacco: Tobacco in any form then no matter if you are smoking or chewing it, can cause damage to blood vessels and increases blood pressure.

You should always talk to your doctor, if you feel any such problem. He/she will be able to guide you in a better way.