Health Tips

Be honest with yourself – do you know or even suspect that you have a problem with alcohol? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Affecting millions of people worldwide, the health, social and economic ramifications of alcoholism are staggering. While it goes beyond our scope here to examine these ramifications in depth, you should be aware that excessive drinking could have serious consequences on your sex life.

Alcoholism is a chronic illness marked by the uncontrolled consumption of alcohol, which is essentially a depressant that reduces tension, anxiety, inhibitions and overall body activity. A type of drug dependence, alcoholism causes physical and psychological problems that often lead to impotence. So if you are experiencing erectile dysfunction (ED), you need to ask yourself whether or not alcohol may be the root of the problem. If it is, then you can kill two birds with one stone – get rid of the drinking and there is a great chance you’ll get back your sexual vitality.

There are several ways in which alcoholism contributes to impotence. On the physical side, the vascular processes that produce an erection are controlled by the nervous system. The bottom line is that if you drink too much, the delicate network of nerves involved in getting and maintaining an erection will become impaired. This nerve damage can be reversible or permanent, depending on the level and length of alcohol abuse. Just as importantly, alcoholism (through such illnesses as kidney failure and liver disease) disrupts hormonal balance by reducing the amount of testosterone in a man’s body – which isn’t good as low testosterone levels translate into erection problems.

From a psychological perspective, alcohol abuse can have a tremendous impact on a man’s sexual performance. Indeed, when you consider the link that alcoholism has with depression, coupled with its stressful interference in family, social and occupational responsibilities, it’s no wonder that heavy drinkers are susceptible to erectile dysfunction. In simplest terms, if you’re not happy upstairs, it’s difficult to be happy downstairs.

If you have an alcohol abuse problem, your main objective should obviously be to eliminate or reduce alcohol consumption. Of course this is easier said than done, but with positive thinking, proper medical advice/treatment and the support of friends and loved ones, you can beat this illness.