Staying on top of a few clues your body gives you can ensure you don’t run into the dreaded erectile dysfunction as you age. These things also affect your body, in general, so being vigilant can not only save your erection, but also your overall health. Let’s start with the six things you should be aware of.
The first red flag is a big one: your morning forest has disappeared. Why is this so important? Your night and morning erections have nothing to do with arousal and everything to do with biology. As you sleep at night, your brain releases less norepinephrine, the hormone that keeps erections from going nonstop. When you wake up, your body is flooded with norepinephrine and you have an erection. If you can’t get an erection, it could mean that the blood vessels that carry blood to the penis are healthy and not working as they should.
While we’re talking about brain signals, let’s talk about the second red flag: You don’t really think much about sex. It could be that low testosterone, commonly known as Low T, could be to blame. Since testosterone fuels libido and kickstarts the entire erection process, too little testosterone could mean erectile dysfunction. Ultimately, you’d need to get tested at your doctor’s office to find out if Low T is the culprit, but you can also look for symptoms associated with it, such as fatigue, moodiness, difficulty building muscle, and even having a bit of a gut. .
Speaking of tests, they can tell you a lot about what is happening or what may happen below the belt. Red flag number three is labs saying you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. When one or both of these are high, it could mean there is damage to the blood vessels, causing them to lose their elasticity. When this happens, it is more difficult for them to expand to accommodate the rush of blood that floods the penis to produce an erection.
Red flag number four relates to medication. There are certain medications known to curb erections. The medications that are most likely to do this are antidepressants and high blood pressure medications because they make it harder for hormones and chemical signals that signal arousal to reach the brain. When libido drops, so do cases of erections.
Have you been skimping on sleep? Red flag number five is watching the amount and quality of sleep. One thing that people seem to overwhelmingly underestimate is the importance of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can increase stress and anxiety and lower testosterone levels, resulting in a decreased sex drive and real difficulty getting an erection. This is especially true for men who have sleep apnea, 70 percent of whom also have erectile dysfunction. If you’re not sure if you’re getting enough sleep, watch for these symptoms: headache upon waking, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, weight gain, irritability, poor concentration, and confusion.
The sixth red flag could be something you wouldn’t normally associate with erectile dysfunction: your gums are swollen, tender, or bleed easily. If your gums are sore, swollen, or bleed when you floss, you may have gum disease. Gum disease can cause widespread inflammation throughout the body, which can damage blood vessels. As we know, if the blood vessels are not working properly, it is difficult to get an erection. This problem is a slow progression that doesn’t happen overnight, so be as attentive to dental health as you are to full-body care.
So now that you know some warning signs, what should you do when you see one? If you notice one of these warning signs of erectile dysfunction, make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will check not only your erectile function but also your whole body function because many times an underlying medication condition causes erectile dysfunction. In many cases, small adjustments, either in lifestyle or medication, can be made to keep erectile dysfunction at bay.
If you are looking for another way to improve penis health, use an oil specially formulated for penis health. (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil that is clinically proven to be gentle and safe for the skin) every day. This oil includes a host of key nutrients, most notably vitamin C and arginine which increase blood flow for harder and more reliable erections.