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Living with diabetes exposes men to several potential complications including erectile dysfunction (ED). But that doesn’t mean they can’t have a healthy sex life.
There are plenty of ways to remedy sexual dysfunction, especially for people that properly manage their high blood sugar.
In this post, you’ll discover how men with diabetes can overcome erectile dysfunction. And yes, there are ways to get an erection without resorting to medication.
Sounds great, right?
Let’s go ahead and talk about all of your options.
How Does Diabetes Affect a Man Sexually?
First, here’s a short lesson on how diabetes mellitus can potentially lead to erectile dysfunction.
Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Having too much glucose in the body is what causes blood sugar levels to shoot up.
Here’s the thing:
When the body’s blood sugar levels are too high, it starts to damage blood vessels which then restricts blood flow to the body.
You need good blood flow to get an erection.
That’s how diabetes can affect your sexual function. It’s also the reason why you need to exert some effort in combating diabetes complications. Doing nothing to address the issue will only worsen your ED.
If you’re one of the 37.3 million people in the US (or elsewhere for that matter) that have diabetes as noted by the Centers for Disease Control, what are you supposed to do?
How to Treat Erectile Dysfunction
There are different ways to improve erectile function for people with diabetes. As to what methods would work will depend on you.
However, it’s always a good idea to consult a medical professional first before undergoing any form of treatment.
There are risk factors to consider especially for those that have other health problems like high blood pressure and heart disease.
With that said, here are a couple of ways you can counteract blood vessel damage to restore circulation to your penis.
Make Lifestyle Changes
Diabetes does a lot of damage to the body — the blood vessels to be more specific. However, there are other factors that make it even harder for your blood vessels to work as they should.
Smoking is one of them.
For diabetic smokers, quitting the habit is a good way of preventing further nerve damage.
There are many cessation aids available in the market that you can try. Talk to your doctor to know all your options.
Men who smoke 20 cigarettes a day are 60% more likely to develop ED.
You can also improve your sexual health by losing weight. Diabetes care requires people to shed a few pounds to normalize their blood sugar levels. By getting your body weight to where it should be, you can regulate your blood sugar better and possibly treat your erectile dysfunction along the way.
Exercise also improves blood circulation. You’ll also lose weight faster if you combine having an active lifestyle with a healthy diet.
Those who drink can try lowering the quantities they consume or just stop it completely. Alcohol does affect the body’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection. Certain types of alcohol do raise blood sugar levels. So it’s best to avoid it anyway.
Making lifestyle changes can have a good impact on your sexual health. Doing any or all of these suggestions can help you treat erectile dysfunction.
You should also warn people you know who are on the verge of being diabetic. The American Diabetes Association says that 1.4 million Americans get diagnosed with diabetes every year.
Reduce Stress and Depression
People with diabetes tend to blame all their health issues on the disease — and for good reason. There are a lot of diseases that could come from having it.
However:
There’s also a chance that stress and depression are what’s causing your erectile dysfunction. After all, 5% of adults globally suffer from depression.
In some cases, having diabetes is what’s causing stress and depression.
So if you’ve been feeling down lately or have been under too much stress, you should seek help.
You can treat depression by talking to a mental health professional. In milder cases, talking to friends and family can even do the trick.
And if you’ve been feeling a lot of pressure from work or your personal life, taking time off from everything can raise your spirits and bring back your sexual desire.
You’ll find a ton of online resources that can help you combat these feelings. Some will be able to teach you different stress-management techniques. Try these out and see if they’re enough to keep your erection firm enough for sex.
Try a Penis Pump
Penis pumps—also known as vacuum erection devices—work exactly how you might have pictured them. You place it over your penis and form a tight seal. You then pump it manually or mechanically to create suction.
The suction will draw blood to your penis — just enough for it to get erect.
Some people find it awkward to order a penis pump. However, there’s no need to feel embarrassed as there are people who use it recreationally as you would any other sex toy.
For some diabetics, using a penis pump is more than enough to address their ED concerns.
One of the downsides to using penis pumps, however, is that it’s not ideal for spontaneous sexual intercourse. So it may not be ideal for everyone.
Explore Penile Implants and Sleeves
If you’re opposed to using sexual medicine or can’t do so for whatever reason, you can try getting a penile implant.
To be clear, penile implants don’t improve blood flow. Instead, these implants allow you to pump an inflatable tube that’s embedded in your penis.
It’s one of the treatment options that won’t require you to take ED medication that could affect how you’re managing diabetes.
However, if someone expresses sexual interest in you, you might have to:
- Awkward explain what a penile implant is.
- Talk about why you have one.
- Use it in front of your partner.
This isn’t something all men are comfortable with. It might even ruin the mood in certain situations.
Plus, this will require you to undergo elective surgery. Penis sleeves could be a good alternative to implants.
Consider ED Medications and Therapies
If none of the above methods work for you or are simply out of the question, then you might seek medical guidance to explore medications and therapies to overcome sexual dysfunction.
Make sure you ask a professional about ED pill side effects, such as Viagra or Cialis, upfront so you’re not placed at a higher risk.
In some cases, a pill may be the right decision for your specific needs and medical history. But it doesn’t always need to be oral medication. Caverject, for example, is a drug that you can inject directly into the penis to combat reduced blood flow.
Testosterone tests can be arranged with your doctor to determine if low testosterone is affecting your sexual response cycle. Depending on test results, your doctor may recommend another form of ED treatment for you such as RestoreWave therapy. You might even be able to control sexual stimulation better after your consultation.
Additional medical tests could include a physical exam to see if you’re developing ED. Laboratory tests would expose if taking ED meds is a risk factor for your diabetes management. It would also show the extent of your damaged blood vessels if there are any.
Ultimately, talking to a men’s medical professional is the best way to address sexual problems in the bedroom.
Overcome Erectile Dysfunction with Medical Guidance from Jacksonville’s Leading Men’s Clinic
It’s possible for men with diabetes to overcome erectile dysfunction issues.
You can overcome sexual health conditions with various other methods and men’s health treatments recommended by health practitioners at Jacksonville’s Prime Men’s Medical Center. This includes ED therapy, premature ejaculation therapy, RestoreWave therapy, testosterone treatment, and adrenal fatigue treatment.
Don’t miss out on any opportunities you can find to get the proper treatment and achieve a happy and fulfilling sex life. Give our team a call today to schedule your appointment.
