Have you ever worried about erectile dysfunction as a young man?
Most of us give it a thought once or twice but don’t really worry about it.
However, it is essential to consider erectile health if you want to stay sexually active in your senior years.
What should you consider to care for your erections as a young man? How can you prevent erectile dysfunction? And if you sometimes experience erectile issues, what can you do to solve them? Keep reading to find out.
The importance of erectile health
Erectile function in men is sometimes a reflection of general health. Optimal erections require proper blood flow, intact nerves, and mental clarity. You need a healthy cardiovascular and nervous system and healthy mental health to achieve an erection.
Sexual health is also important for couples, and it makes up an important part of the relationship. Moreover, erections are essential for men for other reasons. They can feel confident and manly when erections are stronger.
There are many reasons why you want to keep your erectile health, and if you’re still young, there is much you can do to prevent future problems.
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Why men under 40 should care for their erections
Erectile problems and the risk of erectile dysfunction usually start when we are young. What we do before turning 40 years determines our state of health later on. For instance:
- Some men start smoking at a young age. A younger starting age may double the risk of cardiovascular problems later on in life. There is a cumulative risk associated with smoking, and quitting when you’re still young is fundamental (1).
- Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome propensity can also start at a very young age. Diabetes is a risk factor for erectile dysfunction. So, the best way to care for your erectile function is to prevent this problem from an early age (2).
- Atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease build progressively for many years. Plaques in the blood vessels are formed in people with high blood lipids and inflammation. Atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction in the penile blood vessels are common causes of sexual dysfunction in seniors, and we can prevent that by adopting a healthy lifestyle (3).
- Cardiovascular disease usually starts with high blood pressure, which should be treated to prevent damage in different tissues, including the penile blood vessels. Even if you don’t have blood pressure symptoms, treating cardiovascular and heart disease is fundamental if you don’t want to depend on ED medications, such as PDE5 inhibitors (4).
- Mental health is also built early in life, especially in our productive years. Thus, it is essential to look for alternatives to deal with stress and create coping mechanisms. They will be helpful later on during late adulthood and may reduce the incidence of psychogenic erectile dysfunction (5).
As noted above, the best moment to care for your erectile health is when you’re still young. Severe cases of ED are usually linked to biological causes such as atherosclerosis, cardiovascular problems, and nerve dysfunction. Most of them can be prevented by adopting a few measures as a young man.
Natural ways to improve your erectile health
What can you do right now to improve your erectile health? The answer depends on your current sexual health.
If you started having erectile issues before turning 40 years, we have to look for the cause. If not, a preventative approach is better to reduce the risk of erection problems in later years.
The following are recommendations you can take to make sure that ED symptoms do not affect your sexual activity before time:
Quit smoking
As noted above, the best moment to quit smoking is now, especially if you are still young. Even if you already have a form of vascular disease, smoking cessation prevents the progression and consequences (6).
Keep an eye on your cholesterol levels
High cholesterol levels are asymptomatic in younger men. They are widespread consequences of our modern eating habits, and we should run screening tests regularly.
Keeping cholesterol levels in check will reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which reduces nitric oxide levels in the penile blood vessels, and facilitates erections (7).
Detect and treat cardiovascular disease
The erectile tissue depends on blood vessel integrity to trigger erections after sexual stimulation. If you had a heart attack or suffer from high blood pressure, you should treat the problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, penile blood vessels may suffer progressive damage and increase the risk of erectile problems (4).
Eat healthily and exercise frequently
As noted above, type 2 diabetes may trigger erectile dysfunction by damaging peripheral nerves involved in erectile function.
Obesity can cause low testosterone levels and increases the chance of vascular damage through systemic inflammation. All of that should not be a problem if you keep healthy habits from a young age.
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and exercise frequently. Doing so will maintain proper blood flow and nutrients running through your veins and deeply favor your sexual function (8).
Create a safe environment with your partner
If you decide to live with your partner, it is also essential to build trust in your relationship. Psychological factors are important to trigger erections and to achieve satisfactory sexual intercourse.
Look for alternative and fun ways to be together if you notice that sexual desire is lower than before. Treat any problem you may have, including premature ejaculation, which could also lead to erectile problems. Happy couples usually do not experience many erectile dysfunction problems (9).
Remember that even young men may experience erectile dysfunction. If that is your case, do not be afraid to talk to your doctor about it.
Conclusion
Sexual function is vital for males, and they should care for their erectile health from an early age. Most cases of severe ED are triggered by biological causes we can prevent.
Making these changes is not particularly difficult, but you need to look ahead to your future as a senior if you want to keep these changes and enjoy sex regardless of your age.
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