Diabetes and erectile dysfunction

Let's start this off with a simple definition. Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the human body cannot use the natural sugar in the blood as energy. The cause is the failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. It comes in two different forms. In Type 1, the body fails to make any insulin. In Type 2, the body makes some insulin but fails to use it properly. It's estimated that about 57 million people in the US are in the slide into diabetes, i.e. their blood sugar levels are already too high because their bodies are resisting the effect of insulin. This can only be described as an epidemic in the making. Why should we care? After all, both forms of diabetes are treatable. Well, the answer comes in two steps. Many people do not realize their danger in time. As a result, the diabetes begins to damage the body. Untreated, it can cause heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. In extreme cases, the feet and legs can develop gangrene and they have to be amputated. The second problem lies in the nature of Type 2 diabetes. This is largely a lifestyle issue. People eat and drink excessively, their weight rises and their body's metabolism is thrown out of balance. Effective treatment requires change. An extreme measure is gastric bypass surgery to bring down the weight fast. Without this, it depends on people sticking with a diet and exercising regularly.

Erectile dysfunction is one of the first symptoms of Type 2 diabetes in men. The arteries leading into the penis are among the smallest in the body. To achieve an erection, the smooth muscle walls must be able to dilate. Unfortunately, as the blood sugar level rises, the walls of all blood vessels begin to harden. This slows down the dilation and the ability to achieve an erection gradually disappears. This disappearance is what drives men into seeking help. In turn, this prompts the diagnosis of the underlying problem.

Then, it's all up to the man to change. Everything that can be done to prevent the spread of the disease must be done. This means following the treatment program laid down by your doctor and removing all the factors contributing to the erectile dysfunction. So you have to remove all the major causes of stress from your life. Try to be more laid back for all the right reasons. Quit smoking and stop excessive drinking. Some alcohol is OK but not a lot. And then lose some weight. Change your diet and, most importantly, start exercising. Raising your fitness and stamina levels improves the circulation of your blood and gives better erections. This is a high priority. As your blood sugar levels come under control, the damage to your body will slow. You can use viagra as needed to maintain the hardness of your erection but, as your weight drops, you should find erections improve naturally. Congratulations! You brought diabetes under control before all the major health disasters hit you and restored your erections. If you do not take effective action, buy viagra. This will keep you going for a year or so but note the warnings given above. The point of the diagnosis is giving you the chance to prevent a disease from making you seriously ill in a few years time. The longer you delay effective action, the greater the risk of heart disease, blindness and amputations.