Sex & you

Sex & you

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The effects of diabetes on penis health

Diabetes is a very common health problem today. This condition is marked with the inability to create sufficient amount of insulin. In some cases, diabetes makes the body unable to use the insulin in a proper way. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels because when the levels of blood sugar are higher than normal, people experience many different health issues. Men suffering from diabetes are worried about how this disease can affect their sex life and penis health. It turns out that there are several issues related to penis health that come as a result of the presence of diabetes in men. Fortunately, these problems can be solved.

Yeast infections
An increased amount of sugar in the blood makes an ideal environment for the expansion of Candida yeast. This is typical for women, but men suffering from diabetes are at higher risk of developing and experiencing recurring of these infections. When they occur, the penis becomes very red and we can see red dots and rashes too. On top of that, men feel a burning and itching sensation in the urethra. This infection can be contained with the help of special creams with antifungal properties. However, it is much better to regulate the condition to prevent their occurrence.

Erectile Dysfunction
Even though there is no solid proof about the number of men suffering from diabetes that have erectile dysfunction, most statistics show that between 30 and 70% of diabetics have this problem. In other words, there are three times more chances for diabetic men to develop erectile dysfunction compared to healthy men. Another thing that is good to point out is that when men notice erectile dysfunction when they are younger than 45, this is usually one of the signs of diabetes (prediabetes).
Diabetes leads to ED in many different ways. For instance, constant high blood sugar levels will damage the nerves. Erections are triggered by nerve signals too. In addition, diabetes has impact on the blood circulation too and it often reduces the amount of blood that goes to the penis which results in erectile dysfunction. There are many different ways to treat erectile dysfunction caused by diabetes – penis pumps, drugs, injections, herbs etc. Once again, it is crucial to control your disease.

Ejaculation disorder
In addition, diabetes can also cause certain ejaculation disorders. In most cases, diabetic men have to deal with retrograde ejaculation. This term is used for cases where the semen mostly goes in the bladder instead out of the system. The reason is simple. The release of semen through the penis is partially affected by the sphincter muscles. People dealing with diabetes have damaged nerves which make the sphincter muscles act abruptly. That’s why part or all of the semen goes to the bladder. This semen is later mixed with urine and released from the body so there is no permanent damage. You can strengthen the sphincter muscles with certain pharmaceutical drugs, but before using any of them consult your doctor for harder erection.