How to avoid the ‘festive flop’ – as doctors warn risk of erectile dysfunction increases at Christmas
Although Christmas is a season of love and joy, the bedroom may feel a little flat.
According to specialists, stress, inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption can all raise the risk of erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is fairly frequent, according to Dr. Janine David, who spoke to Sun Health.
Half of men over 40 and more than a quarter of men under 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction, according to research by Eroxon, a company that manufactures a topical gel for the condition.
Dr. Janine states: “These figures are projected to climb even more due to factors like alcohol consumption, which is expected to increase throughout the Christmas season.
Actually, according to Eroxon research, 57% of men believe that alcohol is the cause of their erectile dysfunction.
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Alcohol disrupts the sex hormones and brain transmitters that instruct the penis to fill with blood, resulting in erectile dysfunction.
“Alcohol also dulls the senses making sexual arousal more challenging and causes dehydration which reduces blood flow to the penis.”
According to earlier studies, excessive drinking can raise a man’s risk of developing erectile dysfunction and decrease his sexual desire and enjoyment.
The NHS advises British citizens to limit their weekly alcohol consumption to 14 units, or six pints of beer, spread over three days or longer.
Dr. David advised consuming no more than two units of alcohol per day or fourteen units per week if you intend to engage in sexual activity throughout the holiday season.
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Try to avoid drinking on certain days, and perhaps abstain from alcohol entirely on the evenings you intend to have sex.
Festive dampener
There are other risk factors for ED around Christmas than alcohol.
According to psychosexual therapist Dr. Catherine Hood, the stress of the holiday season can seriously impair sexual function.
She stated: At Christmas, there can be a lot of pressure to perform in many areas of life, including sex.
Spending too much money, the stress of finishing everything, arguments and arguments with your partner, and the need to see relatives can all cause problems in the bedroom and make it difficult for your body to focus on getting aroused.
In order to help you feel less pressurized, she advised you to try discussing your sex-related fears with your spouse.
However, according to a survey, one in five men would prefer to break up than discuss problems like erectile dysfunction, early ejaculation, or libido loss.
8,000 adults participated in the survey, which revealed that younger men between the ages of 25 and 34 are more inclined (33%) to break up with their partner than talk to them, followed by Gen Z men (32%).
Another major risk factor for issues in the bedroom during the cold months is exercise—or lack thereof.
GP and men s health specialist Dr Jeff Foster said: During the busy festive season and right through the winter, lifestyles often leave a lot to be desired with heavy, fatty, sugary food, excessive alcohol and lack of exercise becoming the norm for many of us.
Poor lifestyle choices raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, low testosterone, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, all of which raise the chance of erectile dysfunction.
The most prevalent cause of erectile dysfunction is poor blood flow to the penis, which can be lowered by obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
A man’s cardiovascular health is frequently gauged by his penis, and erectile dysfunction may be an early indicator of a more serious medical issue.
Men should aim to exercise at least 30 minutes a day and eat lots of fruit and vegetables to reduce their risk, he said.
The NHS last year spent 18.3million on prescriptions medications including Viagra and Cialis to treat ED.
Dr Jeff says: “Eroxon, a clinically proven topical gel that you and your partner can buy over the counter at the pharmacy and online.
“It works quite differently from other products for ED. You apply it to the penis and it evaporates producing a cooling followed by a warming action with stimulates temperature sensitive endings in the head of the penis and increased blood flow.
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If ED is a persistent problem, see your GP.
ED can be a symptom of underlying conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.
What are the symptoms of erectile dysfunction (ED)?
Erectile dysfunction is when you are either:
- unable to get an erection
- unable to keep an erection for long enough to have sex
Depending on the cause, you may still be able to get an erection at other times, such as when you wake up.
Sometimes you might also have low sex drive (loss of libido).
Source:The NHS
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