Testosterone
Deficiency and Erectile Dysfunction
If you are
suffering from Low Testosterone, this means that your testes are no
longer producing enough Testosterone in order to promote optimal
health and physiological function. One of the most noticeable
physical symptoms of Low Testosterone is Erectile Dysfunction.
Erectile Dysfunction is a general term meant to describe any set of
circumstances which leads a man to be unable to effectively produce
an erection that is suitable for sexual activity.
For some
men, this means that you won't be able to get it up at all. For other
men, Erectile Dysfunction makes it hard to become fully erect and
aroused, little to difficult and unsatisfying sexual activity. A
third group of men may be able to become aroused sometimes, but are
not sufficiently in control of their sexual function.
The same
processes which inhibit sexual ability also inhibit sexual desire
itself. Testosterone is intricately involved in male libido, and
without enough Testosterone, your interest in sex may start to slack.
Men with severe Testosterone Deficiency experience both of these
issues simultaneously, but men with mild to moderate Low-T will
likely experience a loss of sex drive before they begin to fully lose
the capability to maintain a full erection.
Erectile
Dysfunction has Numerous Causes
Although
Testosterone Deficiency (Also referred to as Male Hypogonadism) is a
frequent cause of Erectile Dysfunction, it is important to recognize
that there are multiple other reasons why Erectile Dysfunction
occurs, and this is why it is important to see a specialist, so he or
she can perform a medical assessment in order to pinpoint the source
of your bedroom struggles.
Almost all
forms of Erectile Dysfunction lead to a single particular and
profound symptom: the ability to develop an erection is inhibited as
a result of restricted or diminished blood circulation to the penis.
There is an elaborate interplay of hormone release which precludes an
erection, but ultimately, Testosterone leads to the formation of an
erection by stimulating the release of nitric oxide, which encourages
the vasodilation which sends blood rushing to the penis.
Many other
conditions which restrict blood flow have an inhibitory effect upon
erection stimulation. A few other common contributors to Erectile
Dysfunction are elevated cholesterol levels, hypertension, and
hardened arteries. Hardened arteries prevent the heart from pumping
as hard as it needs to effectively circulate blood. Hypertension
and high cholesterol cause Erectile Dysfunction because they restrict
blood flow at the vascular level.
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Although
many of the primary sources of Erectile Deficiency are the direct
result of physiological complications there are many psychological
causes of Erectile Dysfunction as well. Anxiety can prevent you from
focusing your attentions effectively on pleasure, preventing you from
being interested in sex. Depression can cause you to lose your
self-confidence and desire.
One
incredibly common cause of Erectile Dysfunction and lack of sex drive
is simply relationship complications. If you are unhappy with your
current relationship, or are simply going through a rough patch in
your relationship, then you may temporarily lose your desire or
physical ability to have sex with your partner.
A few
rarer causes of Erectile Dysfunction are spinal cord injuries,
neurological problems, or multiple sclerosis.
The
Connection Between Testosterone Deficiency and Erectile Dysfunction
The male
erection is entirely dependent upon Testosterone, but scientists and
medical researchers have not yet completely established how the two
are interconnected. Although many of the basic processes are
understood, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about
Testosterone and ED.
Low-T and
Erectile Dysfunction are powerfully linked, but the correlation is
not quite as strong as you might think. For example, some men are
able to have a healthy and active sex life even though they have
Testosterone Levels far below normal. Other men experience sexual
issues even though their Testosterone Production appears to be well
within the normal range. It is true that at a certain threshold,
Low-T will completely inhibit sexual activity, but in the end, every
man has a different threshold for sexual function.
Erections
depend on testosterone, but the relationship between the two is
complex and not fully understood. Some men have healthy erections
despite testosterone levels well below the normal range.
One thing
that is crystal clear is that Low-T is correlated with several
chronic medical issues which can inhibit healthy erectile function,
including heart disease, obesity, and Type-2 Diabetes.
Erectile
Dysfunction and Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy
If you are
experiencing issues with Erectile Dysfunction, and your Testosterone
Production is in the normal and healthy range, Testosterone
Treatments will likely have a negligible effect upon your Erectile
Dysfunction. In this case, the underlying issue inhibiting Erectile
Function will have to be discovered and treated.
For males
that do have abnormally low Testosterone Production,
Physician-monitored Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy is most
likely the most effective method by far at helping you to both
restore libido and restore your ability to participate in normal
sexual activity. It can even help you in a number of other ways that
you didn't even realize. Testosterone Treatments have the capability
to provide the following benefits to men with Testosterone
Deficiency:
Because Testosterone Deficiency has multiple negative impacts upon
normal health, it is important to treat Low-T with Testosterone
Hormone Replacement Therapy even if you still need other forms of
treatment to restore your sexual ability.
Testosterone
Replacement and PDE-5 Inhibitors
Most men that take Testosterone HRT say that the treatments have a
positive effect upon their sex drive, but many men still need
supplemental treatments to fully restore function. These supplemental
treatments generally take the form of Erectile Dysfunction
Medications referred to as PDE-5 Inhibitors. You've definitely heard
of a few of them:
Cialis Levitral Viagra Stendra
For men
with significant issues with blood flow that aren't related to the
processes which directly stimulate erection, PDE-5 medications have
the ability to increase circulation of blood to the penis. This
doesn't mean that men that need PDE-5 inhibitors don't need
Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy, it simply means that it may
take both treatments simultaneously to both restore optimal sexual
function and contribute to greater overall health.
Restoring
healthy Testosterone Levels can help add fire to your sex life by
enhancing your drive for sex and improving your mood. For individuals
that suffer in the bedroom as a combination of Low-T and mild
depression, Testosterone Replacement can help resolve both issues
simultaneously, sparking fire to his sex life.
Testosterone
Replacement Treats the Whole Problem
Testosterone
Restoration also has a protective effect upon sexual desire and
ability because it treats a number of issues which have a negative
impact on all aspects of sexuality. It can help improve aesthetic
self-perception by increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat.
In
addition to improving one's sense of physical self-worth, this also
safeguards the male body from the devastating effects of diabetes,
which can be utterly detrimental to male sexuality. For patients with
Low-T, Testosterone Replacement has the ability to increase the
body's receptiveness for insulin.
Testosterone
Replacement Side-Effects
Although
Testosterone Replacement Therapy is highly effective, there are some
side-effects which should be considered before starting treatment.
Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy Side-Effects include:
None of
these side-effects are dangerous, and they can be relieved simply by
adjusting the dosage or suspending therapy.
To date,
there is no connection between Testosterone Hormone Replacement on
the development of Testicular, Breast, or Prostate Cancer, although
you will have to suspend therapy if you develop any of these forms of
cancer. Because of the effect upon fertility, if you are interested
in conceiving a child, you should look to other ways to treat your
Erectile Dysfunction.
Take
Testosterone for a Test Drive
If your
physician comes to the conclusion that you are suffering from the
effects of Testosterone Deficiency, he or she may provide you with
access to short-term Testosterone Replacement Therapy in order to
evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment in restoring your sexual
function. If it is indeed effective, your doctor can provide you with
an extended prescription.
If you
decide to take Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy, you will
need to make appointments with your doctor on a bi-annual or annual
basis so that he or she can monitor your hormone levels and make sure
you are still getting exactly what you need in order to have a happy
and healthy sex life.
Additional
Steps to Improving Testosterone Levels
Your
doctor may recommend taking other courses of action in addition to
starting Testosterone HRT. Because of the positive effect that a
healthy lifestyle has upon sexual function, your physician will
suggest a number of different ways you can take charge of your own
health in order to further boost your sexual function.
Because of
the inhibitory effect of obesity and diabetes, it would benefit you
to lose weight. Because of the stimulative effects of physical
activity, it would benefit you to improve your exercise habits.
Finally, a
healthy diet can improve your hormone profile by simultaneously
improving your cholesterol profile, encouraging weight loss, and
directly stimulating the release of Testosterone.
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