Men, Sex, and Aging

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Men, Sex, and Aging

Guys, it’s a fact of life that as you get older, certain physical changes can impact your performance in the bedroom. You may find yourself thinking about sex less often, your erections may not be as robust, and you may not get turned on as easily as you did when you were younger.

The good news is that there are solutions to your sexual health worries. Here’s a look at common concerns and ways to restore your sex life.

Low Testosterone

Testosterone is the hormone that fuels a man’s sex drive. After 40, men’s testosterone levels begin to decline. In many men, as your T levels gradually go down, your libido slowly declines as well.

If you lose your desire for sex or have erection problems, you could have low testosterone, a more serious health problem.

Lots of things can make low T more likely, including type 2 diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, kidney failure, hormone disorders, damage to the testicles, and certain genetic conditions. Some medications can also affect your testosterone levels. T levels can also fall if you pack on too many pounds or drink too much alcohol.  

A blood test will tell you if your T levels are low. If they are, and you have many of the symptoms linked to low T, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help boost your T levels and bring your sex drive back to normal. TRT comes in patch and gel form, and as long-lasting implants.

Erectile Dysfunction

ED becomes more common as men get older. Blood flow to the penis -- needed for an erection -- slows with age, and you’ll probably have to work harder to get aroused. The ability to maintain an erection also wanes.

But don’t be too quick to blame erection problems on your age. Diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure boost your chances of getting ED, which may be a symptom of these and other serious health conditions.

Avoiding ED is another good reason to get and stay fit. If you exercise, eat well, and steer clear of tobacco, you’ll likely do better between the sheets.

Stress, depression, injuries to the penis, and hormone disorders can also play a role in ED, as can some medications and surgical procedures, including some forms of prostate cancer surgery.

There are many treatments for ED. Most often prescribed are drugs known as PDE-5 inhibitors (Cialis, Levitra, Staxyn, and Viagra), which help erections by improving blood flow to the penis. Surgery, vacuum devices, penile injections, and implants are also among the options for ED.

Enlarged Prostate (BPH)

Prostate growth is a normal part of aging for most men. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlarged prostate. BPH isn't cancer, and it doesn't make cancer more likely. But it does cause its own set of problems, which often impact a man’s sex life, particularly after age 50.

BPH often makes it tough to urinate. It also sends a man to bathroom much more often and urgently than in his younger days. These symptoms, known as lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), make it tough to get and maintain an erection. They also increase the chances of premature ejaculation. They can chill a man’s interest in sex or make sex much less satisfying. The worse the LUTS get, the worse the associated sex problems become.

Medications can help control LUTS for many men. These include: 

• alfuzosin (Uroxatral) 
• doxazosin (Cardura) 
• dutasteride (Avodart) 
• finasteride (Proscar) 
• silodosin (Rapaflo) 
• tadalafil (Cialis) 
• tamsulosin (Flomax) 
• terazosin

Severe cases, however, may need surgery.

http://men.webmd.com/sexual-health-13/sex-and-aging?ecd=wnl_sxr_082113&ctr=wnl-sxr-082113_promo_3&mb=37dz9PaVSpmjqdfYp%40TOnuHnVev1imbCkGiMegP%2f4k0%3d

Orgasms Can Make You Smarter: ...do not deny same to you and your spouse

No one tells yoy this except Alok : However either one of the partner being in anger, in mood to take revenge,in pain, or to hide his/ her true sexuality ( normally when having extramarital relations on purpose does not particiapte activly/ joyfully. This results in stiffness/ dryness further resulting in non orgasm. Non orgasm/ absence of joyful participation can affect other partner too. Thus denying other partner of pleasure / Orgasm as he feels offended/ insulted/ deprived/ he feels he /she can not be over active when other partner is not and finally he too becomes dull resulting in inproper arousal/ weakening erection and finally unorgasmic. And end result is he / she is less smart/ less active / less ambitious in life and thus less successful. ....Others who are smart and successful are thosewho are disconnected with spouse and have personal grave ambition to chase power, post, religion, research etc and they too are successful. Rest live and die like depressed, uncompititive suffering souls.

Orgasms Can Make You Smarter: Here’s How to Have More of Them

By Laura Berman, PhD
Published Aug 9, 2013

YOUR REACTION?

I Like It

So So

Inspiring

Intriguing

Important

Orgasms can do a body (and a brain) good.
A new study from Rutgers has found that orgasm can actually increase brain activity. The researchers used an fMRI machine to measure blood flow to different parts of the brain, and then they had the study participants engage in a variety of activities from crossword puzzles to self-stimulation. They found that while certain mental exercises (such as crossword puzzles or Sudoku puzzles) can increase activity in parts of the brain, only orgasm could increase activity across the entire brain. In other words, self-stimulation and orgasm actually had more positive mental benefits than “cerebral” activities like puzzle-solving!
The Rutgers study is just one of many that have studied the potential benefits of sexual satisfaction. Other studies have found that orgasms are beneficial because they help to improve circulation, burn calories, promote better sleep, alleviate pain, improve mood, and decrease stress. Hence, not only does sex feel good, it’s actually good for you…both physically and mentally as this new research shows.
So how can you enjoy more orgasms and increase your sexual pleasure? Consider the following:
· Get to know your hotspots. If you don’t know your body and what makes you feel good, how can you expect your partner to know? Identify your hotspots such as your clitoris and your G-spot and don’t be afraid to try positions that give you the stimulation you need during foreplay and intercourse. Moan and coo to let your partner know when he is on the right track, or speak up and tell him what feels good—in a complimentary way, of course. For example, say something like, “I love it when you touch me like that” or “It makes me so hot when you kiss me deeply.” Let him know what turns you on…because that in turn will turn him on as well!
· Self-stimulate more often. As the Rutgers study shows, orgasms are beneficial even when they come from self-stimulation. By staying in touch with your body and masturbating regularly you can help to improve your circulation and your sexual response, and it can also help to keep you in touch with your sexual desires and your fantasies.
· Let go of the idea that sex can only happen when the house is clean, your legs are shaved, the kids are asleep and the laundry is put away. If you want more orgasms in your life, you have to stop postponing sexual pleasure until life is more relaxed…because that day probably won’t ever come. Life is messy, unpredictable, and fast-paced, but that’s okay—because sex can be too!
· Remember, an orgasm is an orgasm is an orgasm! People often think that there is a “right” way for orgasms to happen (such as during intercourse) and they feel bad if they can’t orgasm simultaneously with their partner or with minimal effort. However, I always say that an orgasm is an orgasm is an orgasm. In other words, it doesn’t matter how or when you reach orgasm, whether it’s before sex or after sex, or whether it’s from self-stimulation, oral sex, or intercourse. There is no “right” way to enjoy sexual pleasure, it’s simply however works best for you and your partner. So take the pressure off and don’t put too many expectations or “should’s” around your sexual pleasure. Just let orgasms happen when they happen and enjoy the journey itself and not just the destination.

Posted in: sexual health : http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/dr-laura-berman-on-love-and-sex/orgasms-can-make-you-smarter-heres-how-to-have-more-of-them/?pos=1

Ask Dr. Michael Thase

Am I Causing My Husband's Depression?

Q: My husband suffers from depression and has been pulling away from me little by little. Now we are more like roommates than like husband and wife. He travels a lot for a living, so the growing apart has been very gradual. He's concluded that I am the root of his unhappiness and he refuses to get help because he truly believes that I am the problem. What can I do? 

— Karen, Colorado

A: 

I'm sorry to hear that you and your husband are growing apart. Relationship problems are seldom one-sided, but for the moment, you may need to seek help by yourself, at least to help clarify the issues and develop a plan of action. For starters, you might seek out a therapist or counselor who sees both couples and individuals. That may help you figure out some better ways to approach your husband about the issues you are facing as a couple.

Learn more in the Everyday Health Depression Center.

Last Updated: 07/15/2010

Dr. Michael Thase is director of the Depression Treatment and Research Program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression-specialist/am-i-causing-my-husbands-depression.aspx?xid=nl_EverydayHealthLivingWithDepression_20130808

Why cheat?

Relations are not examz...

.
. . . . . . . . Then why do people cheat???..

10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Feature

The perks of sex extend well beyond the bedroom.

Being "in the mood" just might help your health.

How does a juicy sex life do a body good? Let's count the ways

1. Less Stress, Better Blood Pressure

Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure.

That finding comes from a Scottish study of 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The researchers put them in stressful situations -- such as speaking in public and doing math out loud -- and checked their blood pressure.

People who had had intercourse responded better to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study found that diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of your blood pressure) tends to be lower in people who live together and have sex often.

2. Sex Boosts Immunity

Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. 

A Wilkes University study had 112 college students keep records of how often they had sex and also provide saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that could help you avoid a cold or other infection, than other students.

3. Sex Burns Calories

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

"Sex is a great mode of exercise," Los Angeles sexologist Patti Britton, says. It takes both physical and psychological work, though, to do it well, she says.

4. Sex Improves Heart Health

A 20-year-long British study shows that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month.

And although some older folks may worry that sex could cause a stroke, the study found no link between how often men had sex and how likely they were to have a stroke. 

5. Better Self-Esteem

University of Texas researchers found that boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex.

That finding makes sense to sex, marriage, and family therapist Gina Ogden. She also says that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better.

"One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves," she says. "Great sex begins with self-esteem. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."

Of course, you don't have to have lots of sex to feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem is all about you -- not someone else. But if you're already feeling good about yourself, a great sex life may help you feel even better.

6. Deeper Intimacy

Having sex and orgasms boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps people bond and build trust.

In a study of 59 women, researchers checked their oxytocin levels before and after the women hugged their partners. The women had higher oxytocin levels if they had more of that physical contact with their partner.

Higher oxytocin levels have also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So snuggle up -- it might help you feel more generous toward your partner.

7. Sex May Turn Down Pain

Oxytocin also boosts your body's painkillers, called endorphins. Headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms may improve after sex.

In one study, 48 people inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked. The oxytocin cut their pain threshold by more than half.

8. More Ejaculations May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely

Research shows that frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer later in life.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who had 21 or more ejaculations a month were less likely to get prostate cancer than those who had four to seven ejaculations per month.

The study doesn't prove that ejaculations were the only factor that mattered. Many things affect a person's odds of developing cancer. But when the researchers took that into consideration, the findings still held.

9. Stronger Pelvic Floor Muscles

For women, doing pelvic floor muscle exercises called Kegels may mean more pleasure -- and, as a perk, less chance of incontinence later in life.

To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

10. Better Sleep

The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, research shows.

Getting enough sleep has also been linked with a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy weight and better blood pressure. That's something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.m

Testosterone the Man Maker?

Paul Spector, M.D.

Founder, Pantheon Medicine; Certified health and fitness specialist

Testosterone the Man Maker?

Men aren't what they used to be.

Once upon a time, only women experienced menopause and became candidates for hormone replacement therapy.

We now have andropause, or male menopause. Male hormones are known as androgens, a word derived from Greek meaning man-maker. And yes, men are lining up for hormone replacement.

Has the American male developed hormone replacement envy?

Prescription sales of testosterone have skyrocketed. As recently as 1988, testosterone sales in the U.S. were well under 18 million dollars. By 2011 that number had jumped to 1.6 billion dollars. Between 1993 and 2002 testosterone prescriptions grew by 25-30 percent per year.

The only approved indication for the use of prescription testosterone is a relatively uncommon condition called hypogonadism. This clinical syndrome is defined by an inability to make normal amounts of testosterone and sperm due to diseases of the testes, pituitary or hypothalamus. Testosterone treatment has proven enormously beneficial and safe for this disorder. The same benefits and safety in otherwise healthy aging men remains unproven.

The prevalence of hypogonadism has not changed.

This means that a large population of American men with (and without) age-related decreases in testosterone is receiving testosterone therapy, an unapproved intervention.

Now let's get a couple of things straight:

Hypogonadism is completely different than an age-related decrease in testosterone production. And there is no male equivalent of menopause.

Testosterone levels peak in men's 20s and 30s and then gradually decline with age. Unlike menopause, there is no sudden drop in male hormone levels. In addition, the rate and extent to which testosterone levels decrease with age is quite variable.

Has the pharmaceutical industry created a false condition and cashed in on it?

No and yes.

No, the decrease in testosterone levels is real. And yes, they are cashing in on it.

Clinical studies indicate that testosterone levels were 20 percent higher in 1987 than in 2007, regardless of age. The average sperm count has also decreased significantly over the last century.

Why?

Are men just less hormonally manly than they used to be?

Well, on average, yes.

But I don't think the answer, for most us, is a good rubdown with testosterone jelly.

Let's look at what we see when we see low testosterone.

The odds of having low testosterone are 2.4 times higher in the obese, 2.1 times higher in those with diabetes, and 1.8 times higher in people with high blood pressure.

As we you know, these disorders have grown to epidemic proportions over the past several decades. Has a mysterious dip in testosterone levels caused the dramatic acceleration of these conditions?

I don't think so.

We have known for some time that men with excess body fat not only have low testosterone levels but also harbor abnormally high estrogen levels, a major female hormone. Fat cells convert testosterone to estrogen. In this sense, fat is literally emasculating.

Seventy percentof adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Nearly 80 percent of adult Americans do not get the minimal amount of exercise recommended. The gradual path to these numbers over recent decades helps explain the downward trend in testosterone levels over the same period.

So what can men do -- short of taking testosterone?

The following steps have proven effective in raising testosterone levels.

• Lose weight
• Be active and strength train
• Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep
• Manage your stress
• Make sure your zinc and vitamin-D levels are not low

I know. "Easy for you to say, Doc."

Start slow. Do something to achieve these things everyday, no matter how small. Give yourself plenty of time. Remember that you're doing a lot more than increasing your testosterone level in taking these steps. These things decrease your risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and obesity.

Man up your lifestyle before you reach for the "man-in-a-can" solution.

For more by Paul Spector, M.D., click here. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-spector-md/adropause_b_3504279.html

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"Men should take steps to correct their lack of testosterone production by stimulating the natural production of testosterone until they completely exhaust their options."

This means avoiding more drastic interventions such as testosterone replacement therapy, which can inhibit natural testosterone production in the long run and even lead to sterility, and instead focusing on supplementation and lifestyle changes. Since plastics, consumer product chemicals, processed foods, receipt paper, and many other common exposures in modern life tend to be estrogenic, the first thing men with Low T should do to correct the problem is to avoid these exposures.

"Exposure to xenoestrogens starts in the womb and continues throughout life via a myriad of everyday sources including plastic containers, cosmetics and toiletries and agricultural chemicals (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides which contribute significantly to xenoestrogen exposure)," adds Mr. LaValle in a related article on estrogen.

Supplement your diet, avoid plastics, and detoxify for improved testosterone production

Mr. Valle also recommends supplementing with high-quality zinc, magnesium, DIM (diindolylmethane), melatonin, and a product known as Relora, all of which can help restore homeostasis and ultimately optimize testosterone production inside the body. Other approaches include steering clear of plastic bottles, containers, and food wraps; avoiding the microwave, especially when plastic is involved; sticking with only organic and pesticide-free products; avoiding food out of cans, the lining of which typically contains bisphenol-A (BPA); using only paraben-free shampoo and body wash; and regularly detoxifying the body by exercising and using a dry or infrared sauna.

Just be sure not to overexert yourself in the exercise department, as this is another common cause of Low T, according to Mr. LaValle. Rest is important for proper testosterone production, especially for men who weight train or play rigorous sports. It is also important to make sure you get plenty of branched-chain amino acids and protein following a heavy workout.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041060_Low_T_testosterone_sexual_health.html#ixzz2YUidrQJZ

Low testosterone often exists with other medical conditions:

Low testosterone often exists with other medical conditions:

• Depression: In a study of almost 4,000 men older than 70, those with the lowest testosterone levels were more than twice as likely to be depressed. This link remained even after allowing for age, general health, obesity, and other variables.
• Erectile dysfunction (ED): Problems with erections are one of the most common symptoms of low testosterone. Most ED is caused by atherosclerosis. Men with risk factors for atherosclerosis -- diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or obesity -- often have low testosterone, too.
• High blood pressure: The effects of testosterone on blood pressure are many and complex. Men with high blood pressure may be almost twice as likely to have low testosterone as men with normal blood pressure. On the other hand, too much testosterone can increase blood pressure. Testosterone acts in multiple ways on blood vessels, so this may account for the varying effects.

Obesity and Low Testosterone

Obesity and low testosterone are tightly linked. Obese men are more likely to have low testosterone. Men with very low testosterone are also more likely to become obese.

Fat cells metabolize testosterone to estrogen, lowering testosterone levels. Also, obesity reduces levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that carries testosterone in the blood. Less SHBG means less testosterone.

Losing weight through exercise can increase testosterone levels. Testosterone supplements in men with low testosterone can also reduce obesity slightly.

Metabolic Syndrome and Low Testosterone

Metabolic syndrome is the name for a condition that includes the presence of abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, waistline obesity, and high blood sugar. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Studies show that men with low testosterone are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. In short-term studies, testosterone replacement improved blood sugar levels and obesity in men with low testosterone. The long-range benefits and risks are still unknown.