One of the main sexual problems men with diabetes face is the inability to have an erection
Damage to the vascular system can reduce blood flow. If the blood vessels aren’t functioning properly or if an artery is blocked, not enough blood will travel to the penis, making it difficult to get an erection.
Nerve function plays a role, too. If the brain isn’t properly communicating with the nerves in the sexual organs, the body might not be able to shuttle blood there, impairing a man’s ability to get an erection. The ability to keep an erection can also be affected, because the brain must communicate with the nerves to hold blood in the penis. (Keep https://besthookupwebsites.org/meetville-review/ in mind: A man’s ability to get and hold an erection typically wanes with age.)
Fortunately, there are plenty of treatment options, including PDE5 inhibitors, such as Viagra and Cialis, which improve blood flow, testosterone injections or gels (if testosterone levels are low), injectable medications or suppositories, constriction rings that sit at the base of the penis, vacuum pumps that draw blood into the penis, support sleeves that hold the penis in place during sex and penile implants. Be sure to talk to your doctor to see if there’s an option that will work for you.
For her:
Nerve damage may also cause vaginal dryness, which is twice as common in women with diabetes as it is in women without diabetes. It’s also a result of aging. Vaginal dryness is very common among women who are menopausal or post-menopausal, due to a lack of estrogen. Problems may be treated with prescription estrogen, available in pills, a patch or a cream used in the vagina.
Because researchers don’t understand exactly why women’s bodies lose the ability to self-lubricate when menopause isn’t the cause, treatment options are slim. Most experts recommend using store-bought lubricant.
Women with diabetes are also prone to the same blood-flow issues men face because of nerve or blood vessel damage. (more…)