Doctor: 3 good habits to increase sexual vitality
How to fully enjoy sex life after 50? Solving the problems caused by menopause first may be the most practical approach. After all, at this stage, both sexes may experience sexual incoordination due to menopause.
Challenges of sexual behavior in women after menopause: dryness, moodiness, and low libido. Lin Yu-hong, adjunct attending physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at National Taiwan University Hospital and director of the Four Seasons He-An Women’s and Children’s Clinic, pointed out that during menopause, women are prone to vaginal dryness and mucosal atrophy, and intimate interactions are prone to varying degrees of pain. Xiao Meijun, director of Yongmei Mind and Body Clinic, said that if the skin on the genitals is broken, the urinary tract or vagina may also be infected. Repeated infection and several treatments may cause women to reject sexual activity. Another problem is the lack of sexual desire. When a woman’s estrogen levels drop, it often leads to a drop in her sexual desire as well. In addition, when menopause is accompanied by symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, hot flashes, and night sweats, it is difficult to have extra energy for sex. It should be noted that a decrease in sexual desire does not necessarily occur only after menopause (also known as cessation of menstruation). During the “pre-menopause” stage, which is a few years before menopause, sexual desire may be affected. Therefore, if you are wondering: “I still have my period, why does my sexual desire decrease?” Xiao Meijun recommends having a blood test to check indicators such as follicle hormone, progesterone, and estrogen, and then have a doctor interpret the data and comprehensively analyze the possible causes. In addition to the pain during sexual intercourse and decreased libido caused by physiological symptoms, when menopause comes, the skin usually becomes drier and it is difficult to maintain the body shape. Some women may worry that their partner will see that they look less attractive, so they resist sex.
Challenges of sexual behavior after male menopause: testosterone reduction, chronic diseases Not only women, but men after the age of 50 may also face a decrease in the male hormone “testosterone” in their bodies, causing decreased libido or sexual dysfunction. Zhuang Fengbin, chief physician of the urology department of Taipei Hong En Hospital, said that during adolescence, the secretion of testosterone in men’s bodies gradually increases. After the age of 35, the average decrease is 1 to 2% per year. By age 50, testosterone levels continue to decline, which may cause men’s sexual performance to be lower than expected. Testosterone has two important functions: helping men reserve their fighting power and driving penile erection. The amount of testosterone secreted in men fluctuates at different times of the day. Generally speaking, testosterone is secreted in large quantities around 10 pm, causing the penis to become erect. On average, the erections occur 5 to 6 times a night, thereby training the sexual organs to maintain basic functions. In the morning, testosterone secretion reaches its peak, helping men store energy to go out and fight. Then, it starts to decrease in the morning and reaches its lowest peak in the afternoon. After the age of 50, testosterone secretion decreases, the number of nocturnal erections decreases, and sexual function gradually deteriorates. In addition, 50 years old is also the time when various chronic diseases gradually come knocking. If men did not know how to take care of their bodies in the past, such as eating without moderation and neglecting exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease may occur, which may make them unable to cope with the situation.
Hormone therapy may be considered for vaginal dryness, and prolonged foreplay can enhance intimacy between partners. For women, the most direct and effective way to resolve the sexual disharmony caused by menopausal symptoms is to use hormone therapy. Lin Yuhong pointed out that based on the source and structural composition of hormones, they can be divided into three types: E1, E2, and E3 (the numbers do not represent strength, E2 is the most effective). If the purpose is to improve vaginal dryness, after evaluation by a doctor, E3 can be applied vaginally. It can moisturize the vaginal epidermis and thicken the cells. Its effect is local rather than systemic, and it has relatively no side effects. Are the popular vaginal hyaluronic acid filling and vaginal laser effective? Lin Yu-hong analyzed that the effectiveness of this type of treatment can usually only last for six months to a year, and it is much more expensive than hormone therapy, so it can be evaluated based on personal needs. Xiao Meijun suggested that applying lubricant to the vaginal opening before engaging in intimate acts can also make women more comfortable. However, she reminded that when purchasing lubricants, you can ask your obstetrician and gynecologist for recommendations and avoid purchasing products of unknown origin to prevent them from containing unknown chemical ingredients that may cause other side effects. After sexual intercourse, if the vaginal skin is broken, you can apply vaginal cream according to the doctor’s instructions. Lin Yanqing, professor at the Institute of Human Sexuality at Shu-Te University, reminded that when engaging in intimate behavior, men should be patient enough to help their partner caress. Prolonging the foreplay time can, on the one hand, encourage the female vagina to secrete more lubricant, and on the other hand, it can make the partner feel cared for, which is beneficial to the relationship.
What counts as sexual dysfunction? 3 indicators to help men self-assess
Solving sexual dysfunction in men usually requires more effort than in women. Because, just for men to admit that they have “problems” and seek help, they need to overcome their self-esteem first. Objectively speaking, what symptoms are considered sexual dysfunction and is it recommended to seek medical attention? Zhuang Fengbin proposed three judgment principles:
1.Decreased response and frequency of nocturnal and morning erections
You may have erections every day before, but then they become less and less frequent, or even nonexistent.
2.Erection hardness has decreased
In the clinic, urologists usually classify erection hardness into 4 levels and provide a model for patients to touch and self-assess. The four levels, from worst to best, are: konjac, peeled banana, banana with skin, and cucumber. For men around 20 to 30 years old, problems with erection hardness are mostly caused by a sudden change from cucumber to konjac, which is usually caused by psychological factors. In contrast, for men after the age of 50, problems with erectile hardness are more commonly caused by gradual degeneration, such as first changing from a cucumber to a banana with skin, and then slowly degenerating into a peeled banana. This is usually caused by physiological factors.
3.It is difficult to maintain an erection
In fact, people who visit the urology department may have other problems besides sexual dysfunction, such as prostate enlargement. In addition, not only men have the opportunity to see a urologist. When women suffer from certain diseases, such as kidney stones, they may also need the assistance of a urologist.
Therefore, whether you go to the urology department alone or ask your partner to accompany you, there is no need to feel any psychological burden.
More importantly, poor sexual performance may not necessarily be caused by problems with the sexual organs; it may be caused by illness elsewhere in the body that manifests itself as sexual dysfunction. Zhuang Fengbin reminds that chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, tumors in the body causing excessive prolactin, or taking certain medications such as antidepressants may cause sexual dysfunction.
How can men enhance their sexual function? Short-, medium- and long-term treatment
If you have poor sexual performance and seek help from a doctor, what are the diagnosis and treatment options? Zhuang Fengbin suggested that there are three different focuses based on short-term, medium-term and long-term goals:
- Short term: Aphrodisiacs Doctors will prescribe aphrodisiacs to patients to assist sexual function, depending on the situation.
- Middle stage: Adjustment of physical and mental state When a person’s overall health is not good, if only local treatment is targeted, that is, using aphrodisiacs to assist the sexual organs, the effect is usually not very good. Moreover, aphrodisiacs can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. If you want to restore good sexual function, you should make adjustments to your overall health, such as treating existing chronic diseases and maintaining a good lifestyle. In addition, you can also take appropriate nutritional supplements under the advice of a doctor to create a good body environment, such as antioxidant lycopene, vitamin D, vitamin C, etc. In terms of psychological state, when men find that they perform poorly, they may lose confidence in sex and then reject sexual behavior. However, if the sexual organs are not used for a long time, their functions will deteriorate more seriously. Therefore, doctors will also remind patients not to lose confidence in sex because of temporary problems, otherwise it may develop into a long-term problem.
- Long-term: Low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy
Low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a type of regenerative medicine that can repair the corpus cavernosum and blood vessels of the penis and further improve sexual function. It is difficult to see immediate results from this treatment, but if you are willing to be patient, you may be able to achieve long-term results.
If you want to maintain a satisfying sex life after 50, pay attention to these 3 things about your health
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, Zhuang Fengbin recommends that if you pay attention to the following three things, it will help you maintain a good sex life:
1. Maintain good living habits. Generally speaking, the two most common living habits among men that are more likely to affect their sexual function are smoking and excessive drinking. At the age of 50, many people may still be working hard, and they will inevitably drink a few more glasses of wine for socializing; if there is no restraint, it will lead to erectile dysfunction. As for smoking, its negative impact on sexual function is more long-term. For example, a male smoker may still experience sexual dysfunction even if he has quit smoking for 10 years. The reason is that smoking affects the health of the entire body, and the penis has fewer blood vessels than other parts of the body, so when it is damaged, the damage will be more serious and more difficult to recover. Similarly, for women, smoking and excessive drinking may also lead to early menopause and decreased sexual desire.
2.Avoid high-risk factors and obesity
High-risk factors such as plasticizers may cause excessive accumulation of female hormones in men’s bodies, while reducing the male hormone testosterone. In addition, obesity can also increase female hormones and reduce testosterone in men. This also explains why some obese men appear to have delicate skin and tender flesh. For women, if their figure is out of shape, they may lose their charm and worry that their partner will not be interested in them.
3.Maintain an appropriate frequency of sexual activity as much as possible
No matter how old you are, as long as you feel in good physical condition and your partner has sexual desire, maintaining sex as much as possible is also an important way to maintain sexual health. Of course, if you have recently seen a doctor for some illness, such as a heart attack, and the doctor has advised you not to have sex recently, that is a different matter. Tong Songzhen, director of Songfu Sexual Health Management Center, added that sexual organs should be maintained regularly, and masturbation is the best way to maintain oneself. But remember, you don’t have to ejaculate every time. Maintaining an erection for 15 minutes three times a week and ejaculating once a week will help activate the blood vessels and corpus cavernosum of the penis. Xiao Meijun also said that sex can make the hormones in women’s bodies more stable and is a good moisturizer. Engage in more sexual activities and your skin will become better. However, Tong Songzhen reminded that for those over 50 who want to maintain a satisfactory sex life, although exercising sexual function is helpful, there is no need to pay too much attention to physiological indicators when actually engaging in sexual behavior. For example, believing that sex must be hard and wet enough to be normal, or that successful ejaculation or orgasm is beautiful, may cause anxiety for both parties and make the result more likely to be disappointing. On the contrary, if you can learn to change your mindset, relax, get along with each other comfortably, and not be bound by physiological indicators, the sexual satisfaction between partners will be higher.