Men with diabetes have a higher incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED): a man with diabetes has a 4 in 5 chance of facing ED, whereas a man without diabetes has a 1 in 5 chance.

Erectile Dysfunction refers to an inability to achieve or maintain an erection hard enough for sexual intercourse.  It falls under the blanket term impotence, which also covers other sexual problems such as lack of arousal and the inability to orgasm.  Erectile dysfunction is not simply an occasional inability to perform sexually that occurs to every man; if you have erectile dysfunction, you will be unable to achieve or maintain an erection over 50% of the time.

Although erectile dysfunction often occurs with age, it is not a normal part of aging and can be treated.  For men with diabetes, erectile dysfunction occurs an average of 10-15 years earlier than in other men.

Why does diabetes often lead to erectile dysfunction?  Diabetes is linked with many nervous system disorders, and erectile dysfunction can be caused by nerve damage.  Nervous system damage can cause erectile dysfunction because the nervous system tells your body when you are aroused.  If you are emotionally aroused but your nervous system cannot send the message to your penis, then you will not get an erection.   Diabetes can also cause blood vessel disorder.  Vascular damage (damage to the blood vessels) alters the blood flow in the body.  As an erection is caused when corpora cavernosa in the penis are filled with blood, vascular damage can affect erections.  Erections are caused by the interplay of the nervous system and the vascular system, along with other factors.

People with diabetes are more apt to be depressed.  Depression might be caused by poor blood sugar control and hormonal imbalance.  Psychological factors can play a large role in erectile dysfunction. 

How can you prevent erectile dysfunction if you have diabetes?

• Control your blood sugar levels.  This will help you prevent possible nerve damage or damage to your vascular system.  These are two of the complications from diabetes that can lead to erectile dysfunction.
• Talk to you doctor or health team.  They will be particularly helpful for you if you are trying to maintain even blood sugar. 
• Quit smoking.  Smoking damages your blood vessels by making them contract.
• Don’t drink excessively.  Excessive alcohol consumption can also damage your blood vessels.
• Exercise.  Having a steady exercise regimen will help keep your nervous system and vascular system healthy.
• Eat well.  Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been proven to prevent complications in diabetes, and will help you control your blood sugar levels.
• Calm yourself.  If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or other psychological issue that is inhibiting your sexual performance, see a professional.  Often just the fear of erectile dysfunction is enough to hamper performance.

Treatments
If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, consider seeing a urologist.  A urologist specializes in sexual health and will be able to help you decide on the best treatment program.  You might be prescribed medication, such as Viagra, that will help you achieve an erection.  You might also consider using a vacuum pump to help blood enter the penis.  To maintain the erection you place a ring at the base of the penis.  You might consider having an implant or penile injections.

Before taking any medical action, try using the tips above to manage your erectile dysfunction.  Diabetes does not necessarily have to lead to complications, which includes erectile dysfunction.  You can lead a normal sexual life, even as you grow older.  Knowing this information might help you find sexual energy you didn’t know you had!

Posted by editor at 12:19 AM | Permalink

Yoga is an ancient practice of moving the body into different poses (asanas) to achieve a healthy body, an attentive mind, and a relaxed spirit.  Yoga can be used to help treat many different illnesses, including diabetes.  There have been numerous clinical studies that prove the benefits that yoga has for diabetics, because many yoga poses can positively impact circulation and help regulate body systems.

Like with any other exercise regime, when you begin yoga, begin slowly at your own pace.  Don’t push yourself too hard.  If you find a pose difficult, maintain it for a shorter length of time.  Increased flexibility and strength will come from practice.  Monitor your blood glucose levels before and after any period of exercise.  If you feel lightheaded, or experience any unexpected symptoms during exercise, stop to monitor your blood glucose and act accordingly.

Here are a few poses that have been found to be beneficial for people with diabetes.

Uddhiyana Banda: the stomach lift

Stand with your feet spaced shoulder width apart.  Lean forward at your waist and place your hands on your knees.  Inhale deeply by pushing your abdomen forwards, then exhale deeply by pulling your abdomen in.  Pause for five to ten seconds.  Inhale deeply by pushing your abdomen forwards, then exhale deeply by pulling your abdomen.  During this pause, rapidly push your stomach in and out while you are not breathing.  Repeat three or four times.  Stand and resume normal breathing.  This pose strengthens your abs, massages your organs, and assists your nervous system.

Yoga Mudrasana: the symbol of yoga

Sit up straight with your legs crossed.  Clench your fists and place them on both sides of the abdomen, just below your bellybutton.  While exhaling, bend forward as low as you can, pushing your fists against your abdomen.  This pose is good for helping your nervous system and preventing possible complications of diabetes.  This pose can be held for three minutes once you have had much practice.  Begin by simply holding it for ten seconds, however.

Dhanurasana: the bow pose

Lie on your stomach.  Lift your feet towards your knees, and reach back to grasp your ankles.  Lifting your legs, chest, and head, arch your back into a bow.  Hold for five seconds to begin, and work your way up to thirty seconds or more at later sessions.  Repeat this action four or five times.  Once you have mastered this pose, try rocking gently forwards and backwards, and from side to side.  This pose massages your organs.  This pose is of moderate difficulty.

Halasana: the plow pose

This pose is one of the most used yogic poses.  It is complicated and so should not be attempted right away.  Begin by lying on your back.  Raise your feet to a ninety-degree angle to your body.  If you are just beginning this pose, stop here, and hold your feet.  If you are more advanced, lower your feet towards your head.  Your pelvis will curl up and your lower back will lift from the floor.  Touch your toes to the floor behind your head.  If you cannot reach your toes to the floor, then simply hold the stretch where it is comfortable.  Support your lower back with your hands if necessary.  Once you no longer need to support your buttocks or lower back with your hands, place your hands on the ground beside your body.  This pose can be held for around four minutes once you are an expert.  In your early tries, begin with ten seconds or however long feels comfortable for you.  This pose is not for any woman who is menstruating. This pose stretches the spine, and so helps the central nervous system.  It is beneficial to all areas of the body.

At the end of any yoga practice, particularly if you are diabetic, it is important to do Savasana, the corpse pose.  This is a pose of total relaxation.  Lie on your back, with your eyes closed, your legs slightly spread, and your feet dropping to the sides, completely relaxed.  Allow your arms to rest comfortable at your sides.  Relax, simply focusing on your breathing for one to three minutes.  This pose helps you focus after a yoga session and relax the muscles that you have worked.

The Sun Salutation is also recommended for diabetics.  It is a series of yoga asanas.  You can find many variations of the sun salutation.  Try one that works best for you.

If you are uncertain about trying yoga, go to a gym or alternative medical practitioner to see if there are any yoga classes being offered in your area.  There are often many classes, and you can probably go to the first class free.  You can also join a pay-by-class gym where you can stop by if you want.  Tell your instructor that you have diabetes, and your instructor will be able to assist you by teaching you the above poses, and by suggesting other poses such as Paschimottanasana, the sitting crane, Padangusthansana: the standing crane, Bhujangasana the serpent pose, Sarvangasana: the shoulder stand, Ardha-matsyendrasana: the spinal twist, Chakrasana: the wheel pose, and Shalabhasana  the grasshopper pose.  There are other poses that are beneficial to diabetics, or that will be able to help you prevent or manage any complications you might encounter.

Posted by editor at 5:21 AM | Permalink

Most people, when diagnosed with diabetes, go through at least one period of denial.  Denial is a time when you do not believe that your diabetes will truly affect you.  It is a time when you feel exempt from reality: “surely, not me!”  Denial at a diabetes diagnosis is fairly common, and a normal part of dealing with the news.  It is longstanding denial that can be dangerous to your health.

People choose denial for a variety of reasons.  In some cases, it might seem easiest to ignore the problem so it will go away.  In other cases, a person will be scared of the responsibility that diabetes brings.  This might even occur later in their life when they get diabetes fatigue or burnout from caring for a condition day in and day out. 

You might be in denial about your diabetes if you find yourself rationalizing things.  When you rationalize, you try to make something seem like it is okay or fine.  You might say to yourself, “one bite won’t hurt,” or “I can miss one day of exercise.”  The reality is that these are just the things that can hurt you when you have diabetes, and they can lead to more fluctuations in your blood sugar, which in turn can lead to complications from your diabetes.

There are a few areas that diabetics are most likely to rationalize about.  The two major points are diet and exercise.  Without maintaining a healthy diet and exercise schedule, diabetics can put themselves at severe risk.  Diabetics in denial can also avoid proper self-monitoring for blood glucose levels.  You might feel that you no longer need to test your blood sugar because you will just know what your level is at by how you feel.  Although you will get more adept at gauging your blood sugar independently, you can never stop testing, because many other factors influence the way you feel.  You wouldn’t want your blood glucose to spike because you confused the beginnings of a cold with low blood sugar.

People with diabetes might also smoke and think that it will not affect their lives.  The truth of the matter is that smoking will kill you if you have diabetes or not.  If you have diabetes, it will increase your chance of complications.  “Just one puff” is too much. 

If you are in denial, you might think that your type 2 diabetes is not serious.  If you feel that taking pills is less serious than injecting insulin, you might be right.  This, however, is not a reason to neglect yourself, because not properly managing your type 2 diabetes can lead to insulin dependence.

Managing diabetes is a time consuming process.  You need to check your feet for complications, as well as go to the doctor’s office more often.  You might be jealous of your friends and family because they have much less responsibility for their health.  This is not productive for you.  Remember that taking care of your diabetes is actually time that you spend taking care of you.  You can even reward yourself for positive diabetes management habits.  Perhaps if you are diligent with your diet, exercise, and self-monitoring of blood glucose for a month, you will reward yourself with a massage, or a new shirt, or a new book.

There will be periods when you feel that managing your diabetes is out of your reach and not possible.  This is not the case.  You can manage your diabetes, and you can cope with it.

Write down your diabetes-related goals in a workbook.  Having your goals written down will help you to achieve them.  Chart your progress towards these goals.  Often, the simple fact of knowing that you will write down your food at the end of the day makes you eat healthier so that you feel good about yourself when you write it down.

Tell your friends and family about your diabetes.  Explain to them that encouraging you to go off your diet and exercise is not helpful, and help them understand the consequences that can occur.  If your friends and family know about your diabetes, they will be able to help you stick to your healthy habits. 

You can get over periods of denial about diabetes.  Your diabetes management will help prevent complications and will allow you to lead a long and fulfilling life.

Posted by editor at 6:15 PM | Permalink