A common but taboo disorder in men over 50, erectile dysfunction can be caused by many factors, including dehydration. Indeed, the lack of water can physiologically affect the body. We explain to you.
This is one of the unexpected consequences of the high temperatures that France has been experiencing for a few days: they can lead to erectile dysfunction.
In France, it is estimated that suffer from erectile dysfunction: mainly men over 60 years old, but also sometimes younger men. The causes of this dysfunction are diverse: age, diabetes, lifestyle, atherosclerosis, nerve damage, removal of the prostate … And also dehydration. Indeed, as the site points out Medical News TodayIt is not uncommon for men who have not drunk enough water to suffer from erectile dysfunction.
Decreased blood flow
How to explain it? You must first understand what erectile dysfunction is. We generally speak of erectile dysfunction when there is an inability to achieve or maintain satisfactory sexual intercourse for a period of at least 3 months. It can be the inability to get an erection, but most often the disorder is limited to an inability to maintain an erection until orgasm or until one’s partner penetrates. Sometimes it is also simply an insufficient stiffness which hinders penetration and does not produce a satisfactory ratio.
In order for a man to achieve and maintain an erection, several factors must be present. He must obviously be in a state of sexual arousal: it is thanks to this that the brain stimulates blood flow to the penis. This increase in blood flow takes place in two chambers of the penis called the cavernous body: it leads to swelling of the penis, which is then erect. The erection goes away at the time of ejaculation, when blood leaves both chambers of the cavernous body.
Without proper hydration, these different stages leading to erection and then ejaculation are altered. First, when you do not drink enough water, the volume of red blood cells and plasma is impacted: the penis can not obtain enough blood rich in oxygen and nutrients to achieve or maintain an erection.
Also, when a person is dehydrated, their body releases more of a hormone called angiotensin, which causes the blood vessels to constrict or constrict. Angiotensin increases blood pressure and decreases blood flow in the body, including to the penis.
Decreased libido
Finally, not drinking enough water can also decrease libido. This is because continuously increasing blood pressure can damage blood vessels and arteries. Harder and narrower, they lead to reduced blood flow to the penis, which decreases sensations and therefore sexual pleasure.
In addition, a study published in 2011 by the British Journal of Nutrition links dehydration to impaired memory, blood pressure, and increased anxiety in men.
Thus, to avoid any erectile dysfunction during the summer, it is better to drink water regularly and moderate your alcohol consumption. As a reminder, do not wait until thirst is felt to drink water. On the contrary, you should drink regularly: an average of six to eight glasses of water per day, regardless of your level of thirst.
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