Hormones 3 minutes read

Are These 5 Health Issues Affecting Your Libido?

Posted By Andy McConnell July 1, 2023

If you’ve noticed a  reduction in your sex drive, there may be some major health issues that could lead to poor performance in the bedroom.

Diabetes

Those suffering from diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, have likely heard about the risk of erectile dysfunction and decline in your libido as your condition progresses. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is commonly the result of nerve and blood vessel damage stemming from long-term issues with managing blood sugar.

Although many men find it difficult to discuss ED and low sex drive with their doctors, there are absolutely treatments available to combat this. For some, better management of their life choices has led to improvements in libido, but for many, other treatments like therapy, medication, and in some cases, surgery are needed to see improvements.

Obesity

It is common when discussing the effects of obesity on a man’s body, to focus on how diabetes and cardiovascular disease are linked with carrying excess weight. What is often less discussed is how other afflictions like sleep apnea and low sex drive are also affected by it.

Obesity, which frequently accompanies hypertension, accomplishes this by damaging the fragile lining of the blood vessels; this can affect erectile function by preventing the dilation of these blood vessels either temporarily through inflammation or long-term through breakage or blockage of these blood vessels. Research tells us that combatting obesity can significantly decrease your risk of many preventable diseases, which in turn, reduces the likelihood that your weight will affect your sexual health.

High Blood Pressure

The link between high blood pressure and libido is well established. For women, high blood pressure may manifest symptoms in the form of fatigue or diminished sex drive, but in men, the symptoms of high blood pressure are much more pronounced. High blood pressure can damage and thicken artery walls making them more susceptible to a buildup of plaque, narrowing these passages and further exacerbating hypertension.

The result in men often manifests itself in the form of erectile dysfunction. Reducing your blood pressure can help alleviate the loss of libido and erectile dysfunction, by reversing this buildup and allowing for a more natural flow of blood to the penis.

Low Testosterone

Although low testosterone is primarily a physiological condition, it absolutely can reduce your ability to have satisfying sex. As the body’s most potent hormone, low testosterone is frequently an accomplice to many other maladies like atherosclerosis, which can directly affect the body’s ability to manage blood flow to and around the penis. Although research has yet to define what precisely the connection is between libido and a man’s level of testosterone, treating declining testosterone levels in men often also improves sexual desire and performance.