There are many causes for ED which range from psychological causes like stress, exhaustion, performance anxiety, relationship problems, depression and generalised anxiety to lifestyle factors like, drinking alcohol, smoking, eating poorly and having a sedentary lifestyle.
It may sound cliche, but simple interventions mentioned below may improve your ED alongside medication.
- 🏃🏼 Increasing your physical activity
Aim to achieve 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity of 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity each week. Exercises you can do include walking, swimming, yoga, skipping, cycling or martial arts. - 🥦 Maintaining a healthy diet
Make sure you are eating a wide variety of nutritious foods including 5 serves of vegetables and legumes or beans, and 2 serves of fruit per day. - ⬇️ Reducing in your intake of alcohol and cigarettes
No level of alcohol or cigarette consumption can be considered safe. To reduce risk of harm to both ED and your general health, aim to drink no more than 2 standard drinks per day and no more than 10 standard drinks per week. - 🧠 Mindfulness and relaxation therapies
When there’s more going on in life, that’s when we need self-care practices the most. Go for a walk in nature and remember take mini breaks throughout the day. - ☝️ Setting realistic sexual performance expectations
Talk openly and honestly with your partner to help you to overcome it together. - 💑 Supportive counselling
With the guidance of an experienced sex therapist, you can explore and ease any underlying concerns about sex.
ED can also be worsened by medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders or high prolactin levels (which affect testosterone secretion). It is important for you to check in with your local GP to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
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