The fast-paced lifestyle became the hallmark of many people these days. Busy working schedules, heavy workloads and lack of rest in many respects affect our health. This modern rhythm of life can provoke a variety of ailments, including a negative effect on men’s health. Emotional tension or mental strain, sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition and bad habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs – these are crucial factors in men’s state of heath.

Most modern men never stop to think about their health until the first problems and diseases of an intimate nature appear. And often, even with alarming symptoms, they are in no hurry to see the doctor, preferring to solve problems on their own. To avoid the development of serious chronic diseases, it is necessary to pay attention to the prevention and treatment of these disorders in time. If you neglect and don’t monitor your health, you may eventually have to face such unpleasant consequences as prostatitis, adenoma, potency problems, male infertility, and even cancer.

A good quality of sex life is the key to a long-term relationship with a partner. Insufficiently long sexual intercourse or its absence due to erectile dysfunction can be a serious problem for partners. It is really important for men to feel confident and this applies to the sexual life as well. There are many reasons why some men can’t have a sexual intercourse with a partner, and all these problems are called erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to achieve and/or maintain an adequate penile erection, which is necessary for a full sexual intercourse. It limits or makes satisfactory sexual intercourse impossible. Along with it comes a decrease in libido and premature or delayed ejaculation. This term is used, if most of the attempts to have sexual intercourse for more than three months fail. Despite the fact that it is hard for men to admit, many of them have ED. And with age, the risk of ED usually increases.

So why does it happen?

An erection is the result of the interaction between nerve signals, neurotransmitters, and muscle cells. ED occurs when this interaction is impaired. Complete erectile dysfunction occurs rather rarely, and mostly in men who have their prostate removed. Therefore, in most cases we are talking about a partial dysfunction. Stress or psychological problems are not the only possible causes of ED. Other most common causes may be:

1. Cardiovascular diseases. Such diseases are at their peak among men over 40 years old. Due to blood circulation disorders the diameter of the blood vessels decreases, the lumen of the arteries narrows and the blood flows more slowly. It causes a lot of problems, including ED.
2. Enlarged prostate. The prostate enlarges with age, but sometimes it significantly affects erection and urination. Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate, and if not treated, it becomes chronic and leads to ED and even male infertility.
3. Excess weight (body mass index over 25) and type 2 diabetes. Deposition of fat between the internal organs worsens the condition of the heart, blood vessels, and penis. Diabetes triples the risk of developing ED.
4. Hormonal disorders. This includes hypogonadism, a malfunction of the thyroid gland, or an excess of prolactin due to a tumor.
5. Medications. A weak erection can also be an adverse reaction to drugs prescribed for hypertension, antidepressants, tranquilizers and some others.
6. Clinical depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation.
7. Lack of physical activity.

What preventive measures can help to avoid these problems in the future?

First of all, it is important to give up such bad habits as smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. Next step is proper nutrition. Include nuts in your diet; they are a source of selenium, zinc and magnesium, which positively affect testosterone production and sexual function. Eat plenty of protein. A man should consume at least 1.3-1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight. Eat meat, fish, cheese, eggs, and legumes. Don’t forget about fats. They are very important for the formation of sex hormones. And, of course, give up beer, consume less sugar and fast food. Other important thing is physical activity. It eliminates congestion in the pelvic area and stimulates the production of the male hormone testosterone. Improve your sleeping habits and avoid stress.

To draw the conclusion, it’s important to say that men, especially those over 40 years old, should do regular check-ups with urologist every year and take tests to diagnose prostate pathologies. Strong men’s health is the key to a happy life and a long-lasting relationship with a partner.