William Shakespeare once said,
"Alcohol provokes the desire but takes away the performance"
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| (Courtesy: Internet) |
It is perfectly true that medically it is advisable to have alcohol in small amounts especially the red wine, as it increases the HDL which is the 'good' cholesterol. When in moderate amounts, it is also seen as an aphrodisiac, thereby increasing the libido during sex by removing the sexual inhibitions and intensifying the feelings of well-being and sexual satisfaction during intimacy. But the catch word here is 'moderate'. Overconsumption often leads to the culmination of the euphoria and thus results in the impotence that follows later. So how is alcohol and impotence connected? And what are the symptoms?
I have already discussed how Smoking may lead to impotence. Impotence is when the man is not able to maintain his erection sufficient enough to complete his act of sexual intercourse with his partner. The erection is lost much prior to ejaculation. It only includes the lack of sustaining the erection and not any other problem like failure to ejaculate, loss of libido, etc.
There are many theories why excessive alcohol can cause impotence.
1. Long term alcohol abuse can result in interference in the signal pathways between the brain's pituitary gland and the genitals. This system is responsible for engorging the penis with blood by dilating the blood vessels in the penile architecture.
2. Some physicians also believe that the alcohol abuse can cause damage to the nerves of the penis thereby hindering the sensory input during the intercourse which is essential for the erectile mechanism to initiate.
3. After initial euphoric stimulation of the brain's libido center, excessive alcohol further causes inhibition of the center, thus reducing the sexual desire terminating the sexual pleasure. Concentration and judgement become cloudy as the brain is suppressed by the inhibition through alcohol and physical activity and movement are also impaired.
4. Many scientists believe that alcohol has a deleterious effect on the testosterone producing capacity of the cells in the testis. Testosterone is the masculine hormone that is responsible for differentiating a man from a woman. Low levels of testosterone thus diminishes the sexual drive and function.
5. Heavy drinkers are often associated with co-morbid psychological conditions like depression, stress and anxiety. This makes them all the more susceptible to impotence. It is a vicious cycle in this case leading to the aggravation of the physical and psychological deterioration in their health increasing the chances of impotence.
6. Since alcohol has a really bad effect on the liver, the body may develop chemical substances within the skin that create inflammation as well as irritation which will make sexual activity so uncomfortable that the psychological effect may cause your body to disassociate with intimate contact. Cirrhosis will even cause hypogonadism which atrophies a mans testicles, also reducing or even ruining the lovemaking drive and/or performance.
So what do you do when you end up with alcohol induced impotence?
a. Firstly you need to acknowledge that the problem exists and that Help is available. Early intervention can almost cure the disorder with effective co-operation between the physician and the patients themselves.
b. It is always advisable to just avoid alcohol when its time for intimacy or before your love making. Alcohol being a depressant, lowers blood pressure making it tough to stay in rigidity while keeping focused. Since alcohol constricts the bloodstream, particularly the smaller capillary routes, there is certainly much less awareness within the sensors which support erectile performance.
b. There are medicines available such as Viagra which can be prescribed by the physician after taking into consideration, the etiology, the risk factors and the benefits of starting the drug.
c. If the impotence is as a result of physical damage to the vessels of the penis or the nervous system there are injectables that your doctor may offer you for correcting the impotence.
d. Alcoholic induced impotence can best be addressed with a lifestyle adjustment. When one cannot remove drinking completely, one could at the least cut it right down. A 50% decline in drinking can give significantly enhanced efficiency potential. Changing to a more gentle kind of alcoholic drink, such as wine beverages, may also assist the return of sexual performance if this continues to be the main reason for impotence
So think ahead before sipping that glass before making love, because you may not just kill the liver inside you but also the 'lover' inside you...
(The above post is written only from informative point of view. Kindly do not consider it as a prescription. Talk to your physician for further details of the treatment discussed here.)
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