(CR!S) Steven Lamm is M.D., an assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine. He is author of “The Hardness Factor: How to Achieve Your Best Health and Sexual Fitness at Any Age”.
In his book, Dr. Lamm says: “All health issues have effects on your penis. A 50-year-old man who is healthy is probably performing as well sexually as an out-of-shape 30-year-old who smokes and drinks”.In his book, Dr. Lamm says: “All health issues have effects on your penis. A 50-year-old man who is healthy is probably performing as well sexually as an out-of-shape 30-year-old who smokes and drinks”.
Medical experts explain that healthy blood flow is essential to rock – hard erections, but many other physical and mental health factors play a role in good penis functionality.
For example, if you are under stress because of work or poor relationships, if you suffer from depression, if you are addicted to alcohol or drugs, or woefully overweight and out of shape, that miraculous mechanical wonder between your legs won’t work as well as it could.
However, there are many things you can do in order to keep your member in good standing so you can still have sex well into your 80s and maybe even beyond.
All men should do favor to their private parts.
1. Do a Ball Check
According to statistics, testicular cancer strikes about 8,000 men per a year, mostly young men between the age of 15 and 40. In case you caught the testicular cancer early enough, it can be cured more than 95 % of the time. Otherwise, if is left undetected, it can spread to other parts of the body. So, it is important to check in with your boys once a month.
Larry Lipshultz, M.D. is chief of the division of male reproductive medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and urology advisor. Here’s the play-by-play:
Step 1. Take a hot bath or shower. Warm water relaxes the muscles that pull the testicles up into your scrotum, allowing you to handle them more easily.
Step 2. Cup your scrotum. Feel both testicles at once. They may not be identical, but there shouldn’t be any dramatic difference in size.
Step 3. Gently examine each testicle individually with both hands. Place your index and middle fingers underneath and your thumbs on top of a testicle. Roll the testicle between your fingers around the entire surface for about 30 seconds using light pressure. Feel for lumps or bumps. Each testicle should feel smooth like a peeled hard boiled egg.
In case if you think you felt something you should not panic. Many men mistake the epididymis, a soft tube located in the back of each testicle, for a bump. If you’re unsure or if you feel any other bumps, consult your doctor.
2. Lose the Belly
It is important to lead healthy lifestyle, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. On that way you will achieve ideal body weight and eliminate the fat around your gut. Abdominal fat blocks the testosterone that should be available to you, which in turn affects sexual functioning. Fat gut is very bad marker for overall health, including the sexual health.
Namely, the penis is a barometer for your heart and artery health or a “canary in the coal mine” that can warn you of impending trouble. That’s because a penile artery is quite a bit narrower than a coronary artery. If plaque and artery hardening is starting to occur, it’ll often show up first by affecting your erection.
For a complete diet and exercise program that will banish your belly fat, check out Lose Your Spare Tire.
3. Take a Walk Every Day
You should know that when you exercise, blood flow increases, the blood rushes through the endothelial cells (the lining of the blood vessels) and on that way stimulates them to make more nitric oxide, a key chemical involved in producing erections.
Dr. Lamm says: “The healthier a man is, the more nitric oxide he produces, and the harder his erection is”.
It is proven that exercise is effective as medication in reducing symptoms of mild depression, another downer for penis performance.
4. Go to Bed Earlier
Keep in mind that testosterone levels peak in the morning for men. So, irregular sleep patterns, or getting fewer than 7 hours of sleep, can affect the quality of your sleep and your sexual health.
Poor sleep is also associated with many health issues that contribute to sexual problems including high blood pressure, sleep apnea and diabetes.
5. Relax and Unwind
Stress can trigger the fight – or – flight response, especially in men. When that happens, your nervous system floods your body with stress hormones like adrenaline. Adrenaline spurs the heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to constrict so that blood is directed to where it’s needed most to deal with the crisis—your muscles, not your penis.
6. Drink Moderately
Although glass of red wine may fuel the libido, remember that full bottle may screw with your penis – brain circuitry and eliminate any chance of getting an erection.
Clinical studies have shown that alcohol acts as a depressant in the brain, dulling anxiety and inhibitions about sex, but larger amounts can have the opposite effect.
7. Quit Smoking
Dr. Lamm in his book says: “Smoking just clenches down on your blood vessels and prevents them from being reactive”.
Nicotine actually restricts penile blood flow and weakens erections. It contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries, making smokers twice as likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
8. Eat More Fish
It is important to mention that omega – 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are good for heart and penis health. But toxins like PCBs and dioxins in some fish can hit you below the belt by reducing your sperm count and lowering testosterone.
You should try to avoid large bluefish, striped bass, and farmed salmon. PCBs and dioxins accumulate in the fatty tissues of those fish more so than in younger, smaller fish or species such as wild salmon, skipjack tuna, or sea bass.
9. Pop Supplementals
In case if you don’t like fish, and you don’t consume two to three servings of fatty fish per week, it is recommended to take two omega – 3 fatty – acid supplements per a day, totaling at least 300 milligrams (mg) of DHA and 400 mg of EPA as a kind of insurance policy.
Another suggestion is to take the antioxidants pycnogenol (80 mg) and L – arginine (3 grams) daily. They will shield your endothelium from harm and facilitate the use of nitric oxide.
Source: /www.menshealth.com