Not everyone needs to take medication for erection health. If you’re happy with your love life and want to keep it that way, there’s plenty that you can do.
A general guideline to follow is anything that’s good for your health is probably also good for erection health. And if you start good habits now, you can reap the rewards for a lifetime.
J. Stephen Jones, M.D., F.A.C.S., who is a urologist at Cleveland Clinic, tells Men’s Health that his patients know sexual health is directly related to overall health. Your heart, blood supply, nerve endings, and everything else involved in creating healthy erections are part of a complex system that runs throughout your body. Take care of it, and it will help take care of you.
Here are 10 ways to help stay in the tip-top shape that you already enjoy, or get that way if something is lacking:
Get Plenty of Antioxidants
Free radicals aren’t a group of bad guys in a third-world country. They have a damaging effect on the blood supply that you need for healthy erections. Part of the erection process is a boost of nitric oxide to the penis. This causes more blood to flow in, and you’re familiar with what happens next.
When free radicals are present, nitric oxide can take a hit. With less nitric oxide, you might not get the full blood supply to the penis that you need for a firm erection. So eat dark berries and other fruits and antioxidant foods, and stop those free radicals in their tracks.
Kick Bad Habits to the Curb
Nobody has to tell you that smoking is bad. But you might not know how it affects erections. Cigarette smoke can damage your heart and your lungs, and can even cause cancer. It can also damage the blood vessels that are so critical to healthy erections.
Overeating doesn’t just give you a soggy midsection; it can lead to diabetes. Type-2 diabetes can cause damage to delicate nerves and blood vessels, and not just in certain parts of the body. The delicate nerves and blood vessels that supply the penis are part of the network of your whole body. So get in shape and watch what you eat, and avoid this disease as if your life depends on it.
Reduce Your Stress Levels
It’s easier said than done, but getting stress under control is one of the best things you can do for your overall health, including erection health. It might be more convenient to avoid confronting what’s stressing you out, but that’s not the best approach. Look your stress triggers in the eye, and then you can defeat them.
Doctor and author Jay Winner, M.D., who wrote “Stress Management Made Simple,” tells Men’s Health that stress increases epinephrine, which is a type of adrenaline. The danger there is that too much can damage blood vessels, and you already know why blood vessel health is so important.
Eat Dark Chocolate!
That’s right, a healthy portion of dark chocolate can boost erection health in ways you might never have realized. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids called epicatechins. These epicatechins help dilate blood vessels, which encourages more blood flow through.
In the case for erection health, a portion of dark chocolate is a 1.6-ounce bar. Every day! According to Men’s Health, a study at the University of California at San Francisco showed men who treated themselves to some dark chocolate on a daily basis increased the dilation of blood vessels 10 percent or more.
Lose Some Weight
Being overweight can contribute to diabetes. But it can also wreak havoc on your hormones. Losing even just a few pounds can make a real difference both for your health, and for your erection health.
Larry Lipshultz, M.D, of Baylor College of Medicine, tells Men’s Health that heavier men tend to convert more testosterone into estrogen than men who aren’t carrying around a few extra pounds. The lower your testosterone and higher your estrogen, the more likely you are to experience difficulty achieving and maintaining erections. So if need to lose a little weight, shedding some can make you feel better all the way around.
See Your Doctor Regularly
Visits to the doctor are rarely anyone’s idea of a good time. But let’s not give health care providers a bad rap — they’re there to help, and they can only do that if you make an appointment and follow through.
Erection health issues, even minor ones, can be early warning signs of other health problems. One incident of erection problems could be enough reason for your doctor to make a few checks to be sure your cardiovascular health is in order. Remember, your body is a whole. And blood vessel blockages aren’t restricted to large arteries. The vessels that supply the penis are small and might be the first ones to show signs of blockages, which indicates the possibility of bigger problems ahead.
Give Alternative Therapies Some Thought
Acupuncture might look like some sort of medieval torture, but it’s been practiced for quite a long time. The Mayo Clinic explains that while traditional Chinese medicine uses acupuncture to treat pain, modern Western medicine acknowledges its potential for stimulating nerves and increasing blood flow.
Men’s Health also suggests that acupuncture might also help with psychologically induced erection problems. The Mayo Clinic also says you should ask your friends for recommendations on an acupuncture practitioner, and don’t be shy about asking your doctor for a referral.
Practice Your Kegels
Kegel exercises are usually something that women think about for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. But you have a pelvic floor, too, and it also has muscles that need to stay in shape. The muscles that you use to perform Kegels are the same ones that let you stop urinating mid-stream.
This isn’t a workout that you’ll need a gym membership for. You can practice Kegels anywhere. Sitting at your desk or watching TV, or even lying in your bed, contract and relax those same muscles that you engage to stop urinating. That’s all there is to it.
Watch Out for Medications that Can Affect Erection Health
Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can have a damaging effect on erection health. Perhaps not now, but you could see those effects in the future. And even though your doctor might have prescribed them for you, it’s still a good idea to have a conversation about long-term erection health.
With many medications, there are alternatives that offer similar results without the same potential side effects. Don’t count on your doctor to think about your erection health for you; take the initiative to list all medications that you use and bring up the topic at your next appointment.
Don’t Count Out Erection Health Medications
For some men, erection health can decline slowly and gradually over a period of years. What seems normal now might not be the best that you can have. There’s no appropriate age for erections to decline — erection problems aren’t a normal part of aging. If you think your current situation is ok but wish it were better, chances are it could be.
Prescription medications for erection health are generally considered safe and effective. As long as you don’t take nitrates for chest pain or have another health condition that precludes you from taking Cialis, Levitra, or other similar drugs, your doctor might prescribe one for you. And you could see an improvement that you didn’t think was possible.
Erections are a natural and normal part of every man’s health. Preserving good health can boost erections now, and in the years to come.
It all comes down to good habits. In many ways, you already know what you should and shouldn’t do. Watch what you eat, stomp out unhealthy habits, see your doctor regularly, and get plenty of exercise.
When you improve your general health, your whole body benefits. And if you still see some room for improvement, talk with your doctor about one of the tried and true erection health medications. They work, and they’re safe for many men.
eDrugstore.com sells the prescription medications for erection health that make a real difference. We offer Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, Stendra, and Staxyn through private and convenient online shopping, and your discreetly-packed shipment arrives right at your door. If you’re ready to try something that works, see what eDrugstore.com has to offer.
We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook