Having sexual difficulties should not be a taboo subject for anyone and especially for diabetics. If you’ve noticed lately that your sex drive is not what it used to be . . . this may be a sign of serious problems. Keeping in mind that as we age our sex drive generally decreases, having diabetes will bring on this effect even sooner.
Men and women with this disease have a greater potential to develop difficulties with their sex drive because of damaged nerves and poor circulation. Although the cause is similar, the effect is much different for both genders. I will discuss these differences shortly.
In this post I would like to briefly discuss the topic of diabetics and sex . . . the causes and how to delay and even prevent them from happening to you.
Damaged Nerves
One of the main effects of malfunctioning or damaged nerves is peripheral neuropathy where the nerves in the bodies’ extremities as well as those to internal organs misfires and are unable to send a proper message to your brain.
Your brain communicates with the rest of your body via your nervous system. This system controls many bodily functions including those performed consciously as well as those done unconsciously.
An example of a conscious nerve response would be scratching an itch. If your palm itches . . . you relieve it by scratching it. You choose whether to act on it or not.
Your body’s nervous system also signals it to do many things without you having to think about them such as breathing, digestion, causing your heart to beat in a rhythmic pattern, the need to urinate. In line with these also is the bodies’ response to sexual stimuli. The main cause of issues with diabetics and sex can be traced directly to damaged nerves.
Circulation
We all know by now what diabetes is and how it affects the amount of sugar in our blood stream. In the same way that it affects our kidneys and eyes it also has a major impact on your response to sex. In fact I would even go so far as to say that it’s one of the markers indicating whether you have or are developing diabetes. Naturally as we age our sex drive diminishes, however, as mentioned earlier, having diabetes brings on these problems sooner.
For a man, poor circulation will lead to erectile problems. This means that it becomes difficult to get and maintain an erection. If these physical difficulties aren’t enough there is also a psychological impact on the person which can lead to relational problems.
A woman usually notices this problem when she has a decrease in sexual response or there is not enough vaginal lubrication to make intercourse comfortable. Although there are many other unique problems women can have when it comes to sexual problems namely menopause or even pregnancy, one of the main culprits in those with diabetes is circulation.
Other issues that impact diabetics and sex
Some other causes for diminished sexual drive are smoking and medication. If you are a smoker with diabetes your chances of developing issues with your sex life will happen even sooner. You must make every to cut down or better yet quit.
Medication can have a definite impact on how you respond to sex. You must check with your health care provider to make sure the medication(s) you are on, if any, are not causing you to have difficulties with sex.
Can sexual problems be prevented?
Countless studies have proven that many of the issues experienced by those with diabetes can be prevented or reduced if they are able to control their blood glucose levels. The best way to do this is to eat a proper diet and become more active. By active I don’t mean cutting the lawn on Saturday morning or playing video games for an hour but by taking part in some form of consistent organized physical activity. This could be yoga, walking, high intensity interval training, swimming or biking. The choices are endless. The key word here is consistency.
It is important that you follow a daily exercise routine for at least five days per week of no less than thirty to forty-five minutes. This time can be broken up into ten minute intervals or can be done all at one time.
It is also important that you do cardiovascular as well as resistance exercises. When you exercise you are helping the body get sugar out of your blood stream and into the cell where it can be used for energy. This is very important because it’s this excess sugar circulating in your blood stream that is the root of all your problems.
Just imagine having all the energy you need to perform all your daily tasks just from doing 30 to 45 minutes of exercise per day. Breathing becomes easier, your heart is pumping more efficiently, your skin will have a new glow to it and you won’t need to take those little blue pills anymore. That’s right . . . for diabetics sex can be fun again.
As I have stated in the past, the key to vibrant health and well-being is directly related to consuming a healthy diet and maintaining an active life style. There are a multitude of things you can do to stay active but the subject of dieting can be very confusing.
Almost every day we are bombarded by the latest and greatest diet fad. Who has time to experiment with them? What can we do?
To a healthier you,
Owen Lecky
For more information check us out at: exercises for diabetics today
