Diabetes and erectile Dysfunction

Diabetes is rapidly growing in men and helping other diseases grow inside your body as well. According to a report of 2020 by Nature Journal, the rate of diabetes lifted from 11.3 million in 1990 to 22.9 million in 2017, with a 102.9% increase globally. On the other hand, diabetes triggers sexual impotence in men, also known as erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. It is observed that a man with diabetes has a two to three times more chance of getting diagnosed with ED.

With changing lifestyles and other external factors, human health is getting more occupied by these diseases. Although both these medical conditions have distinct reasons to get developed, they tend to go hand in hand. Diabetes takes place when there is too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream. And according to studies, there is a 50% chance of developing ED in five to ten years after being diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes.

How Diabetes triggers ED?

There are two distinct types of Diabetes with different medical parameters- type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Although both of them are associated with a risk factor to cause ED, the latter type is more common in people. High blood sugar level causes severe damage to blood vessels and nerves over time. This damage is known as a microvascular disease that affects small blood vessels in the body, including the ones present in the penis. Gradually, it develops a poor erection due to the following reasons.

Inadequate or reduced blood flow in the penis

Nerve dysfunction in men’s genital area responsible for normal erectile function

Hormonal imbalance due to lack of testosterone production and utilization

Contribution of physicological anxiety and stress to develop ED or lift up the existing condition to a worse state

Side effects of medicines to treat diabetes (like antihypertensives)

Additionally, diabetic men are likely to be affected by hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and atherogenic dyslipidemia which further triggers sexual disorders. Multiple distinct cardiovascular risk factors associated with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) come up with the genesis of penile arterial insufficiency. And all of them end up developing endothelial dysfunction, the common denominator leading to vascular erectile dysfunction.

Risk Factors for ED:

If a person is having diabetes, there are several risk factors associated with it that can develop multiple other medical conditions including erectile dysfunction or impotence. These factors are:

  • A man having poorly managed or overlooked blood sugar (has more risk with age)
  • He has mental health issues like he is stressed, anxiety, or depressed
  • He has a poor diet along with the habit of smoking and excessive drinking
  • He doesn’t have any indoor or outdoor activity and has an obese body
  • The man has uncontrolled hypertension and never opted for serious treatment
  • He has an abnormal blood lipid profile
  • The man takes medications that either list erectile dysfunction as one of the side effects or consume prescription drugs for high blood pressure, pain, or depression.

How to treat ED?

There are two ways to deal with the erectile dysfunction caused due to the high blood sugar level. One is the medical treatment and the second is the lifestyle changes.

Oral medications to treat ED in men include several PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil (Levitra or Staxyn), avanafil (Stendra), etc. Generally, these medications don’t interact with the Diabetes medicines like Glucophage (metformin) or insulin, required to treat diabetes. Though there are alternative treatments for erectile dysfunction like pumps and penile implants, it is better to start with oral medications. These medicines should be consumed only according to the doctor’s prescription and there should be no manipulations in the dosage and frequency.

Apart from medications, there need to be some lifestyle changes too as follows.

  • A proper diabetes-friendly diet should be maintained on a regular basis to control blood sugar levels. It will not only help you to cure diabetes (and other diseases caused due to this) but also lift energy and mood. Consulting a dietitian would be better to keep the sugars under check.
  • Avoiding alcohol consumption and quitting smoking are two major steps to gaining a healthier body. Excessive drinking may intoxicate the blood vessels, causing poor erection. Smoking, on the other hand, narrows the blood vessels and decreases the levels of nitric oxide in the bloodstream.
  • Add regular exercise and some sort of outdoor activities to your routine to control blood sugar levels and achieve better blood circulation in the body. Also, adequate sleep plays an important role to keep the body filled with energy and free from diseases. In addition, daily meditation, yoga, and some ‘me-time’ would help to feel less stressed and it will gradually help to treat both diabetes and ED.

Conclusion

This article contains everything about erectile dysfunction caused by Diabetes along with the potential remedies. As diabetes is a rapidly growing chronic disease, it is important to take precautions. Otherwise, many different health damages including sexual disorders in men may take place. Note that, both these medical conditions have separate reasons but there’s a connection that might get triggered or not.