Understanding & Resolving ED
Erectile difficulties (ED) afflict a portion of middle aged and older adults, particularly those with risk factors related to cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
It is a sensitive topic for those who are afflicted by it and so this brief write upcan hopefully offer simple and effective solutions to those who are dealing with ED.
In natural medicine we always try to treat the cause of any disease and the same goes for ED.
In ED there is poor local flow of blood in the penis area, but the problem is generally not only local, Its generally associated with poor circulation in the rest of the body and as a result, when ED improves it is usually a sign that the cardiovascular health in the rest of the body improves as well.
Let’s look at the main causes of poor blood flow and let's explore solutions for these as well.
The first cause of ED and poor blood flow is low levels of the sex hormones, the hormones of vitality and virility such as testosterone and DHEA, Pregnenolone and progesterone. The last one is typically known as a female hormone, but is an important hormone for both genders. These hormones help relax the blood vessels and support the availability of energy for all the body’s functions. Their levels decline in times of stress and their activity is countered the stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, estrogen, and others).
Stress can come from different sources – mental / emotional causes, too much work, poor diet and so on. So what can you do about this? Certain stressors can be dealt with relative ease, while others are harder to manage. There are however some simple things you can do to help reduce the levels of the stress hormones and their effect on the body. Strive to eat as healthy as you can. Healthy food gives your body the resources it needs, such as important vitamins and minerals, to help you get healthier.
Moderate exercise, such as walking for 20-30 minutes a day, can be very helpful to help manage stress. However, excessive exercise can bring on more stress.
As well, look for resources to learn different mindfulness techniques that allow to takeyour attention away from what worries you. This usually involves different breathing exercise, and mediation techniques. You can find various demonstration videos about this online.
These are simple things that not everyone does that can go a long way to help you gradually get better.
However, you are likely looking for an immediate improvement. Well, fortunately, that can come from the plant kingdom. Certain plants ,known as adaptogens, have been used for centuries in different parts of the world to help recover from states of low energy, low mood, debility and poor sex function. These include plants such as Rhodiola and Ginseng, Maca, Horny Goat Weed.
These are now available in Canada as over the counter health products that can be purchased from a natural health products retailer, such as Village the Vitamin Store.
I personally, based on my knowledge and expertise, formulated such a product, containing potent extracts of these plants along with a number of supportive vitamins and minerals. It is called Rhoziva Edge. It is one of the products from our Rhoziva line, products which target health issues that stem from stress.
Users have reported experiencing an improvement fairly quickly, within a few days.
The next possible cause of ED that I wanted to point out is the negative side effect of certain drugs and medications on sexual function.
There are certain drugs and certain medications that can contribute to or cause erectile difficulties These include: alcohol, marijuana, opioids and other drugs. Also, medications such as blood pressure medications, medications for Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), antidepressants, antihistamines, muscle relaxants, medications for prostate cancer and different chemo therapeutic medications that treat other cancers.
So what Can you do if you take such medications? Well, talk to your doctor if you suspect that your medication might be causing or contributing to ED. Ask your doctor about alternatives, whether he or she, can prescribe different, safer medications instead.As well, explore complementary and alternative treatment options,perhaps use something else that is safer and helpful just the same. A natural health practitioner, such as a naturopathic doctor, can guide you with this.
Now let's explore the third cause, which probably is the most direct cause, and that's clogged arteries.
If the arteries that lead up to the sex organs are clogged up to one degree or another, the flow of blood to the area would be compromised. This occurs in conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and pre-diabetes, hypothyroidism. Sometimes ED occurs in individuals who have not been diagnosed with any of these conditions, and so it is important to get checked by a doctor to find out whether these conditions are there or not.
Again, fortunately, nature can come to the rescue. Various safe vitamins and minerals that have been shown to improve what's called “endothelial function” can help prevent and decrease plaque. By doing that, the plaque in the arteries would decrease and blood flow would improve.
So what is endothelial function? It's basically a term that refers to the state of health of the arteries. A related term is “endothelial dysfunction” refers to the process that leads up to the process of plaque build-up in the arteries. Various nutrients have been shown to improve to reverse endothelial dysfunction and improve endothelial function.
These include the amino acids glycine, prolineand lysine, amino acids that help repair the artery wall. As well, as vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, Co enzyme Q10, selenium, vitamin E, and magnesium.
With this knowledge, I formulated a comprehensive, yet economical natural health product, that contains 23 nutrients, including the ones I just mentioned, to helps improve cardiovascular health.
It has no contraindications, even with standard heart medications, and so it may be worth your while to use it to help you turn your condition around. I have had great feedback from people who used it and noticed great improvement with their sexual function and energy as well as other cardiovascular related issues, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
I hope that this write up and these suggestions have been helpful to you and your recovery. If you have any questions feel free to email me at drklein@nantionnutra.com or ask the knowledgeable staff of Village the Vitamin Store.
Written By: Dr. Elie Klien (Naturopathic Doctor)
