Men: 6 Things You Didn't Know Could Inhibit Your Sex Life

Dealing with problems that could be inhibiting your sex life isn’t fun, whether that be a loss of libido or more specific issues like Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Despite these being common problems, they certainly aren’t easy topics to discuss.

And it’s important to note there are different causes to issues with your sex life, which can be physical, psychological or caused by medication, alcohol or drugs.

But the good news is that the above doesn’t signal your sex life is gone for good; there is advice and medication available to get you back to a place that you – and your partner – are happy with.

So here are six common inhibitors, with potential solutions to get your sex life back on track.

Eating the wrong foods

Always choosing the hamburgers and chips over the olives, fish and veg? You’re not doing your health - or your erectile health - any favours. Studies have found that a Mediterranean diet can help sway cardiovascular disease risk factors like hypertension and obesity, and given cardiovascular disease and ED can be linked, it may well help your sex life as well.

Excessive cycling

The benefits of biking around - for both body and mind - are varied and numerous. However, those who bike A LOT may experience sexual problems linked to too much time in the saddle, which can lead to penile numbness and put avid cyclists at risk for erectile dysfunction. Choosing a wider seat, wearing padded shorts and switching up your workouts so you’re not cycling for hours each day can all help reduce any symptoms.

Interrupted sleep

If your partner keeps hitting you with a pillow in an effort to get your loud snores and laboured breathing to stop every night, then we may have an issue - you might be suffering from sleep apnoea, a relatively common problem which can have a damaging effect on your sex drive, and is linked to low testosterone levels. Lifestyle changes like stubbing out the cigarettes and limiting alcoholic drinks, as well as sleeping with a mandibular advancement device or air pump, can all help reduce the symptoms of sleep apnoea.

Taking medication

If you are managing an existing illness such as high blood pressure or depression amongst others, certain medicines can sometimes affect your sex drive. Cardiovascular medicines such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors can affect sexual function. If you are concerned about how any medication you are taking may be affecting your sex drive, check the leaflet that comes with your medicine to see if there are possible side effects and seek advice from your doctor or pharmacist.

Drinking your libido away

Despite the common misconception that alcohol can make you feel more amorous, it could be putting a dampener on your libido. Regular and prolonged drinking can reduce sexual responsiveness in both men and women. Men may find it difficult to get and maintain an erection, while women may find it harder to have an orgasm – which makes sex more complicated! Another killjoy-beverage could be coffee. Clinical sexologist Dr Kat Van Kirk explains, “too much caffeine causes your adrenal glands to over-function and release stress hormones in your brain that can inhibit sexual desire and function.” Something to think about when you reach for your next cup…

Performance anxiety

A drop in your libido and the inability to get and keep an erection are not the same thing but experiencing and worrying about the latter can take its toll. In fact, erectile dysfunction (ED) is estimated to affect 4.3 million men in the UK*. ED symptoms can manifest in different ways, with it affecting some men regularly and others just occasionally. Breaking the cycle of worry/performance is possible, seek advice from your pharmacist or GP.

* Men reporting occasional and frequent difficulty getting or maintaining an erection ref. Kantar TNS Omnibus Survey Dec 2010 – in a survey of 1,033 men.