Ever thought that some of your daily habits or routines could be having an effect on your ability to get erect? You’ll be surprised to know that your morning commute to work, what you eat for dinner, and how well you brush your teeth may be causing your erectile dysfunction. So to help you protect your erection we’re showing you what you shouldn’t be doing if you want to have better erections by cutting out those bad habits, as well as giving you some natural remedies for ED.

Bad habits that are killing your erection

 

1. Cycling

cycling

 

You’re cycling to work every morning which is great for your health and is helping the environment in the process as it’s an eco-friendly alternative to driving. However, it’s not so good for the health of your penis or your sex life. Spending a lot of time cycling is known to reduce sensation in the penis and cause problems achieving an erection. This is because riding a bike puts pressure on the area between the anus and the penis known as the perineum which has lots of nerves and arteries supplying blood to the penis. This repeated pressure on this area can cause damage to these nerves and arteries, and reduce blood flow to the penis which is needed for an erection.

Remedy: If you must cycle everyday try a more padded and wider seat, and wear padded cycling shorts to ease the pressure.

2. Bad oral hygiene

Duraphat Doctor-4-U

The condition of your teeth and gums has a huge effect on many aspects of our health including the heart and brain function, but it can also have a negative effect on sexual function. This is because there is a direct link between poor dental hygiene and erectile dysfunction. Gum disease is the leading cause of this. The bacteria which causes chronic inflammation of the gums can make its way into the bloodstream and damage blood vessels. It may damage the blood vessels in the penis resulting in poor blood flow to this area of the body.

Remedy: Ensure you’re brushing and flossing at least twice a day and go for regular checkups so your dentist can spot any signs of gum disease before it’s too late. If you’re struggling with dental problems and you’re at risk of tooth decay, try Duraphat toothpaste as this rebuilds any damage to the enamel of the tooth.

3. Taking pain medication long term

pain medication

The cause of your erectile dysfunction may lie in your medicine cabinet. Erectile dysfunction may be a side effect of many medicines such as antidepressants and blood pressure drugs, but most worryingly is that your everyday pain relief medicines may be the cause of your erectile dysfunction. Research has looked into the effects of long-term painkiller use on the ability to get an erection, and found that there is a link between erectile dysfunction and painkiller use. The reason for this is thought to be that painkillers reduce testosterone levels and testosterone plays a big role in erectile function.

Remedy: Find out from your doctor whether the medication you’re taking is responsible for your erectile dysfunction, and discuss alternative medication or the possibility of erectile dysfunction treatments to help with this side effect.

4. Lack of exercise

exercise

Being inactive has lots of consequences for our health, including your ability to get hard. Exercise not only perks up your energy levels and mood, it also perks up your penis too. Lack of exercise or lack of sex can lead to fewer erections or eventually not being able to get an erection at all even when you want to. Regular activity particularly of the penis through sex or masturbation prevents scarring which can lead to erectile dysfunction and protects the nerves and blood vessels.

When you exercise your body produces nitric oxide which relaxes and widens the blood vessels which is essential for circulation and supplying blood to the penis. Plus, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity are all causes of ED and the way to prevent these conditions is by having an active lifestyle.

Remedy: A few extra gym sessions a week or even moderate exercise at home will not only improve your overall health, but also your sex life, and the more you have sex the more you improve the health of your penis for better erections.

5. Lack of sleep

sleep deprivation

We all know how bad sleep deprivation is for our physical and mental health, but are you aware that those late nights and not enough sleep is actually contributing to your erection problems? If you’ve noticed you’re having fewer erections than you usually do, or you’re not as erect as you usually are, these could be signs of erectile dysfunction and your quality of sleep may just be the cause.

There is a link between sleep and testosterone levels, not enough sleep leads to low levels of the hormone which affects libido and sexual function. Sleep deprivation causes a significant drop in testosterone levels and men need a sufficient amount of testosterone in order to get and maintain erections.

Remedy: If nothing can make you get those extra hours of sleep a night, do it for your sex life. Whatever sleep problems you have to ensure you get a diagnosis as soon as possible so you can get a treatment plan in place and eventually you’ll see an improvement in your erectile dysfunction.

Read more about low testosterone in our information page, as you may be unaware that this is the cause of your ED.  

6. Smoking

Stop smoking at Doctor-4-U

You must be living under a rock if you’re not aware of the dangerous effects of smoking. Almost every part of your body is affected by smoking, including your penis. Unhealthy blood vessels is the leading cause of erection problems as blood simply can’t make its way to the penis to make it erect. The chemicals in cigarettes significantly damage the blood vessels all over the body, and erectile dysfunction is a result of damage to those in the penis.

Remedy: If smoking is causing your erection problems the only remedy is to quit altogether for the benefit of your health overall. Reducing your intake is a start but you’re still damaging your blood vessels no matter how much you smoke. There are many ways of quitting and lots of help and support, all of which you can find over on our stop smoking page.  

7. Alcohol

bad habits that cause erectile dysfunction

If you regularly enjoy an alcoholic drink (or several) may be to socialise or as a way of helping you overcome performance anxiety, it may be doing more harm than good for your sex life. Many people feel that alcohol gives them a boost of confidence to help them perform well in the bedroom when in fact it is actually hindering your performance. Yes, you have more confidence, but when it comes to actually do the deed you may experience some trouble.

This is because alcohol is a depressant which not only decreases sexual desire but also makes getting an erection more difficult than when you’re not intoxicated. Although you may be aroused it may not be to the same level as a sober body, orgasms will be less intense, and your erection may be delayed or you may not get one at all. If you’re a heavy drinker your risks of long-term erectile dysfunction are high.

Remedy: You may not need to cut out alcohol altogether, but ensure you’re drinking in moderation. If you’ve noticed any sexual dysfunctions after drinking alcohol it may be wise to have completely sober sex which is safer and more enjoyable.

Still can’t get it up?

If despite cutting out all your bad habits you’re still not able to get or maintain an erection, it may be time for a helping hand from the little blue pill. Viagra has helped millions of men since the 90s, treating their erectile dysfunction, improving their sex lives, and in turn improving their quality of life. Viagra works by relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow through to the penis and make it erect. You can buy Viagra online at Doctor-4-U as well as alternatives including sildenafil, Cialis, and more.