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Did you know? Nearly 70% of men over the age of 70 have mild to moderate symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
The major cause of this phenomenon, unsurprisingly, is the disruption of healthy blood flow.
You may think that ED is limited to the older cohort of people. But that’s sadly not the case; men in the 40-70 range have a 52% chance of developing ED symptoms. Over 1 in 2 men.
Needless to say, a good number of people find it troublesome to maintain an erection. This is a sizeable portion of the population who can’t enjoy their sex life to the fullest.
If you fall under that population, don’t lose hope. You can still treat erectile dysfunction and improve blood circulation in your body. Your sex life can go back to normal through lifestyle changes and ED treatments.
Whether you’re simply health-conscious or want to reignite your sexual vigor, read on to learn scientifically-backed ways to improve penile blood flow.
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is a complex problem that involves many body processes. It can arise in adult men if they encounter the following problems:
- Hormones: high prolactin, thyroid hormone deficiency, low testosterone
- Heart: Coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol
- Brain: Depression, anxiety
- Nerves: Parkinson’s disease
- Muscles: Peyronie’s disease
- Blood Vessels: Atherosclerosis, diabetes
In addition, stress and emotional strains also play a big role in how you may develop ED. They may worsen problems that were initially affected by other parts of the body, which can result in a worsening erectile dysfunction.
Despite this slew of potential causes, ED can be treated by following the right lifestyle changes and implementing a doctor’s professional medical advice.
1. Avoid Smoking to Slow the Progression of ED
Smoking is detrimental to your health, particularly to your lungs and respiratory system.
But did you know that smoking accelerates or starts the progression of erectile dysfunction as well?
According to a study led by Gholamreza Pourmand, there’s a 25% improved ED status for smokers who stopped smoking after one year compared to those who don’t. In comparison, 6.8% of people who continued smoking had a deterioration in ED.
If you’re middle-aged, you still have a good chance of improving your sexual health by abstaining from nicotine. However, the study also linked less improvement for older men with advanced ED, signifying that there’s an inverse relationship for the chance of improvement.
2. Stay Hydrated to Improve Blood Circulation
Blood flow also needs one crucial element: water. Without adequate water in your system, you run the risk of dehydration and lower volumes of blood circulating your body’s system. As a consequence, muscles around your body such as your penis can get affected by this and worsen in function.
Thus, it’s important to drink at least 3.7 liters of water for men, as recommended by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
3. Exercise Regularly to Improve Cardiovascular Health
Want to learn how to increase blood flow to penis? Do regular exercise.
When we engage in aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activities, our bodies make more nitric oxide which helps promote blood flow to the penis.
Nitric oxide is a tiny molecule that relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow throughout the entire body — including the heart and penis tissues.
Not only is blood flow an issue in people who eat unhealthily, but it can also affect more of us as we age. Our cardiovascular systems need to be working at their best to enjoy an active lifestyle and avoid problems like high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol.
Don’t know where to start? In general, it’s best to exercise in ways that suit you and your body best. If you prefer resistance training, you can opt for weight lifting or bodyweight exercises. If you prefer aerobic training, try walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, or dancing.
One thing to keep in mind is that you can’t increase blood flow to the penis by undergoing a healthy diet alone. Change can occur once you start moving and implementing a customized medical therapy provided by a trained ED specialist. Once you do, you’ll enjoy an enhanced erectile function in no time.
4. Eat a Healthy Diet Consistently
With the abundance of highly processed food in the market today, it’s no surprise that ED is prevalent almost everywhere we go.
If you want to cut down your chances of ED but still want to enjoy good food, following a healthy diet is beneficial for your body’s blood flow among other health benefits. Here are steps on how to achieve healthy living through an ideal diet to increase blood flow to the penis:
- Increase intake of vegetables and fruits rich in antioxidants.
- Increase intake of whole grains, fish, and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Avoid processed foods rich in saturated fat and trans fat.
If you’re 40 years old or younger, you still have time to avoid the pitfalls that come with a sedentary lifestyle and junk food. By incorporating fruits into your daily meals while minimizing the intake of processed foods, you’ll have a healthy sex life for decades to come.
As a start, here are some food items that you can include in your regular meals that are capable of improving blood flow and maintaining erections:
- Garlic
- Fish rich in omega-3
- Dark chocolate
- Green, leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Turmeric
Conversely, avoid or limit the intake of these food items to prevent the risk of worsening your body to get poor blood flow:
- Salt
- Sugar
- Trans fat
5. Decrease Stressful Sources that Cause Anxiety
Did you know that chronic stress can interfere with your body’s ability to improve blood flow?
This is because when people are stressed out all the time, their sympathetic nervous system becomes overactivated and secretes the “stress hormone” known as cortisol into their bloodstream.
Cortisol elevates blood sugar levels and constricts blood vessels in your penis — two things that can be bad for overall health and penile health. In addition, high cortisol levels in the body contribute to decreased testosterone levels, which can cause ED.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to reduce stress and improve blood flow to the penis. Getting more sleep, meditating, doing yoga, or working on a favorite hobby are ways to help your body destress and relax.
If you’re struggling with depression or anxiety, it would also be helpful to speak with a therapist about what steps you can take next.
Takeaways for Increasing Blood Circulation, Improving Penile Function, and Reversing Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction can be a mentally taxing condition to have. But once you get it, it’s important to recognize that there are ways you can still overcome it. This is especially true if you’re younger and don’t have risk factors associated with heart disease yet.
Cutting out smoking, eating healthily, hydrating yourself, exercising, and finding time to destress are the best ways to improve sexual dysfunction.
With the right mindset, you can improve erectile function and achieve better sexual performance in no time — all while also gaining plenty of health benefits along the way.
Consult a sexual health doctor for a professional look into your condition. The medical professionals at Proactive Men’s Medical Center in Cincinnati specialize in treating conditions that impact men’s health, including erectile dysfunction. Our concierge approach positions your unique case at the centerpoint of our focus. We don’t just give you a pill for ED and send you on your way. We treat the underlying issues that led to conditions such as ED, PE, Low Testosterone, and more. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
