The incidence of sexual dysfunction is disproportionately high among men and women suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions and diseases. Researchers at Washington State University may be on track to develop a new treatment for such disorders.
Introduction
Men and women struggling with chronic inflammatory conditions are more likely to experience sexual dysfunction than those who are free of such inflammatory disorders. In men, the resulting sexual dysfunction is most often seen in the form of erectile dysfunction, or the inability to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse.
Multiple studies have confirmed this association between inflammation and problems of physical intimacy. And the past couple of years, researchers have looked closely at various inflammatory diseases and their impact on sexual function.
Among the conditions spotlighted in recent studies have been psoriasis, inflammatory arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. However, the common thread connecting them is their inflammatory nature. And it’s widely assumed that other chronic inflammatory diseases have a similarly adverse effect on sexual function.
The pain and fatigue that are cardinal symptoms of these inflammatory conditions are certainly primary factors in the negative effect on sexual function. However, according to an article posted at CreakyJoints.org, other factors include disease-related “psychological distress, reduced self-esteem, and body image issues. . . .”
On a positive note, the CreakyJoints article noted that some of the challenges to a fulsome sex life can be overcome by talking frankly to your partner about your problems and trying sexual positions that are less painful. For men, using Viagra or other oral ED drugs can help to overcome symptoms of impotence that are triggered by inflammatory conditions.
What Causes Inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s natural biological response to injury or acute infection. It is one of the body’s natural reactions to stimuli that could have a harmful effect on the part or parts of the body that have been injured or infected.
However, the body’s natural inflammatory response sometimes goes beyond the areas that are actually being targeted and begins to attack other parts of the body that are healthy and in no need of such attention.
So-called inflammatory conditions result when the immune system runs amok, attacking normal, healthy cells, according to HSS.edu, the website of the Hospital for Special Surgery. This can lead to swelling, redness, stiffness, and chronic pain in otherwise healthy tissue.
Inflammatory Conditions
Inflammatory arthritis is among the most widespread chronic inflammatory ailment. According to Arthritis.org, inflammatory arthritis is an umbrella term covering “a group of diseases characterized by inflammation of the joints and often other tissues.” Specific conditions falling under this umbrella are psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Other inflammatory maladies include asthma, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), periodontitis, sinusitis, chronic peptic ulcer, active hepatitis, and tuberculosis.
Psoriasis and ED
Brazilian researchers looking into the association between psoriasis and sexual dysfunction noted extremely high levels of ED among men with psoriasis. They then found a close link between severe forms of psoriasis and periodontitis, a serious bacterial infection of the gums.
Periodontitis, in turn, is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease. And anything that has an ultimately adverse effect on the heart is bad for the penis, and vice-versa. The Brazilian research team published their findings in a 2018 issue of Psoriasis: Targets and Therapy.
ED Rampant in IBD Patients
On another front, American researchers representing a wide array of U.S. medical organizations and institutions explored the incidence of erectile dysfunction among men diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Within the small group of IBD patients they studied, the prevalence of ED was an extraordinarily high 94 percent.
In the conclusion to their study, published in the July 2019 issue of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, researchers warned that “physicians should be aware of the high prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its associated risk factors among men with newly diagnosed IBD. . . .”
Inflammatory Arthritis and ED
A team of Australian researchers led by Laura J. Restoux conducted a review of the scientific literature relevant to the relationship between inflammatory arthritis and sexual dysfunction. The team identified 55 relevant studies, which looked at the impact of various forms of inflammatory arthritis on the sex lives of both men and women.
The review was focused on studies of patients 16 years of age and older who suffered from such varied forms of inflammatory arthritis as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic scleroderma, connective tissue disease, vasculitis, and psoriatic arthritis.
This review led by Restoux differed from past studies in its broader focus on the many forms of inflammatory arthritis and their effects on sexual function rather than confining its scope to a single condition or two.
The review, published in a 2019 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, found a strong link between this whole constellation of inflammatory arthritis-related conditions and sexual dysfunction. And in men suffering from one or more of these inflammatory disorders, the incidence of ED was extremely high.
A New Treatment?
As previously noted, most inflammatory conditions occur when the immune system goes rogue, attacking healthy parts of the body that are not the real target of outside infectious agents or injury. As part of this overreaction, the immune system sends white blood cells known as neutrophils that in turn release cytokines that ramp up inflammatory response, giving rise to many of the inflammatory disorders discussed here.
A team of researchers at Washington State University recently found a potential new treatment for such inflammatory conditions as acute lung injury, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, and stroke.
As outlined in the November 2019 issue of Science Advances, researchers developed “a novel, patent-pending technology that uses nano-sized particles to transport cell-killing drugs directly to activated neutrophils.” The technology facilitates the death of activated neutrophils without harm to any other cell types or injury to the overall immune system.
Zhenija Wang, the study’s senior author, told MedicalXpress.com that scientists have traditionally looked at neutrophils “as the ‘good guys’ for the key role they play in our immune system.” However, they are now beginning to realize that neutrophils under certain circumstances can also give rise to a variety of diseases.
Can Viagra Help?
Viagra and the other oral ED drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors can help men deal with male impotence that’s caused by the physiological effects of inflammation. These drugs temporarily optimize blood flow to the penis so that men are able to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse.
Many men find that they can save both time and money by ordering their ED drugs from eDrugstore.com, a longtime online prescription drug service. By ordering from eDrugstore, they save themselves the hassle of trips to and from the pharmacy, as well as any time they might have to spend waiting for the prescription to be filled.
Men who don’t have a prescription can get one readily by taking advantage of eDrugstore’s complimentary online consultation service that will match them up with a physician licensed to practice in their state. If the doctor determines the patient is an appropriate candidate for an ED drug, a prescription will be authorized.
To learn more about these and other services available from eDrugstore, visit its Erectile Dysfunction page.
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