Having regular and satisfying intercourse does not guarantee that as a man, you can make your wife or sex partner pregnant, but when you experience erectile dysfunction from time to time, it can be embarrassing and frustrating. If this goes on for longer and becomes a chronic problem it’s extremely stressful and can have a negative impact on your relationship. If this happens while you are trying to conceive, the stress becomes even more problematic.
Erectile dysfunction means you have an inability to have an erection during sexual pleasure, and could be more than a sexual problem as it could be an early sign of cardiovascular disease. It may result from clogged arteries, or cardiovascular disease, which can impede the blood flow necessary to create an erection. It is becoming more common with unhealthy lifestyle and a complacent attitude.
The pressure to have sex at certain times of the month could get too much if you can’t get an erection, or maintain one, or ejaculate when you want to. Of course your partner would be aware that she is only fertile for a short window each month and the fact that you need to have intercourse at the right time only adds more pressure.
Erectile dysfunction is common yet men who are suffering erection-related problems often find it hard to pin down the exact reason. Sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, obesity-related diseases and stress all take a toll.
There is a link between erectile dysfunction and infertility because if you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, it basically means you often struggle to get an erection, which makes intercourse difficult or almost impossible.
It is common knowledge that to impregnate a woman, intercourse is necessary. At the climax of sex, when the man ejaculates and semen is released into the woman, chances of a healthy sperm meeting the ovum released during ovulation increases by many folds.
The sperm and ovum unite to form an embryo, which travels through the fallopian tubes and implants itself in the uterus to develop into a fetus during the nine months of pregnancy.
This is the basic science behind how a baby is born. But if you have erectile dysfunction this might not be possible to achieve.
If you have low sperm count and can maintain an erection, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can impregnate your wife. But if you have healthy sperm count even with erectile dysfunction, some care and attention can help you plan to have a baby.
Most men who experience this problem don’t usually want to go to a doctor to discuss the problem, and that is wrong. The inability to maintain an erection while having sex haunts men more than anything else, however it doesn’t have to be that way.
The various causes of erectile dysfunction can be broadly categorized into physiological or physical, and psychological.
There are various things that you can do to your body that can cause erectile dysfunction. Habits like alcohol consumption, smoking and doing drugs are common triggers. Diseases like diabetes and obesity are also bad for your sex life. Psychological causes such as depression, anxiety-related conditions, and other mental health problems are also significant. However, age is the commonest culprit.
If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction but you have a healthy sperm count, you do have a fair chance to help your wife birth a baby with assisted reproductive techniques (ART).
If you have low sperm count and also suffer from erectile dysfunction, even IVF might be challenged to help. While it is possible to impregnate your wife through IVF if you have a healthy sperm count, keep in mind that the problem of erectile dysfunction would still need special attention and care to manage it.
A physical exam and answering questions (medical history) may be all that’s needed for a doctor to diagnose erectile dysfunction and recommend a treatment. If you have chronic health conditions or your doctor suspects that an underlying condition might be involved, you might need further tests or a consultation with a specialist.
The treatment options for erectile dysfunction vary. It includes medication to help increase blood flow to the penis. However many of these drugs have serious side-effects and it is important to talk to your doctor and discuss your entire medical history before taking any drug.
Depending on the cause and severity of your erectile dysfunction and any underlying health conditions, you might have various treatment options and will need to consider your preferences. Your partner’s preferences also might play a role in your treatment choices.
Your doctor will consider your particular situation to determine which medication might work best. The medications might not treat your erectile dysfunction immediately but you need to work with your doctor to find the right medication and dosage for you.
If stress, anxiety, tension or marital problems are the causes, counselling can help ease performance anxiety and the subsequent dysfunction.
Exercises such as brisk walking, swimming or 30 minutes of cardio three times a week can help boost blood circulation and improve the blood flow towards the pelvic region.
Improved circulation will help the small arteries in the penile area receive adequate blood; during intercourse, it helps you to hold your erection for longer. This helps if erectile dysfunction is an outcome of your sedentary lifestyle, stress and anxiety.
If the non-invasive methods don’t work, then injections can help you to achieve an erection. These are vasodilators, since they help increase the blood supply. Specialized devices for erectile dysfunction called penis pumps are also available.
Penile implants are usually the last resort. A penile implant is suggested when all other modes of treatment have failed; however, only few men need to go for a penile implant.
To sum up, erectile dysfunction which is basically the inability to hold on to an erection, can be as frustrating as it can get. While it causes a lot of tension between partners, the good news is that in most cases it is treatable.
In some cases, the condition arises due to a psychological reasons like performance anxiety, stress and unrealistic self-expectation from sex. In others, it could be due to a medical problem like diabetes or high blood pressure. Usually, medication can help correct the condition to a great extent and restore your sexual vigor.
If you are trying to conceive, sometimes it helps to take the focus off baby-making sex for a while by deciding to have sex only for the sheer fun of it. No ovulation predictor kits or charts allowed. Just try to make the sex happen spontaneously.
