Health

Erectile dysfunction: an overview

When
men become sexually aroused, hormones, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels all
work with one another to create an erection. Nerve signals, sent from the brain
to the penis, stimulate muscles to relax. This in turn, allows blood to flow to
the tissue in the penis.

Once
the blood fills the penis and an erection has been achieved, the blood vessels
to the penis close off so that erection is maintained.

Erection
problems occur when you can’t achieve or maintain an erection that is firm
enough to have sexual intercourse. This can be called; erectile dysfunction,
impotence or sexual dysfunction. For most men, these problems occur
occasionally and aren’t a serious problem but if it occurs at least 50% of the
time, you might require medical attention.

Symptoms of erectile dysfunction

Being able to get an erection sometimes,
but not every time you want to have sex.
Being able to achieve an erection, but not
having it last long enough for sex
Being unable to get an erection at any
time.

Common causes of erection dysfunction

Causes
of erectile dysfunction can be classified into physical cause, psychological
cause or both.

Physical cause:

They
occur because of disorders that affect the nerves and blood vessels responsible
for causing an erection. They include:

Spinal cord injury
High blood pressure
High cholesterol: this increase the risk
of atherosclerosis where the arteries become narrowed and clogged, resulting in
impaired blood flow. When this happens to the arteries in the penis, it can
prevent enough blood from reaching the penis to create erection.
Diabetes: raises risk of erectile
dysfunction threefold by its effect on nerves and blood vessels.
Obesity
Alcoholism
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries)
Certain medications such as
antihypertensive drugs (e.g. beta blockers, diuretics), antidepressants, muscle
relaxers etc.
Substance abuse: causes damage to the
blood vessels including those that supplies the penis.
Long term use of tobacco
Prostate problems.

Psychological causes:

These
are emotional issues and include:

Low self-esteem.
Worry (especially worry over not being
able to achieve and maintain an erection)
Prolonged emotional distress relating to
economy, professional or social issues.
Relationship conflicts
Depression: this can cause lack of
interest in sex. Consult your doctor if you are experiencing this.

DIAGNOSING ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Testing
for erectile dysfunction can involve a variety of steps, including physical
examination, health and sexual history.

Psychological history taking

Your doctor will ask you some questions which
may include:

How long you have been experiencing
erectile dysfunction.
Are you having any problems with feeling
sexual desire, ejaculating, or reaching orgasm?
How often do you have sex?
How firm are your erections and is it
affected by any stimulation or a particular stimulation?
Do you wake up in the morning or in the
middle of the night with erections?
Have you recently been experiencing lot of
stress?
Do you have any underlying condition or
have you had surgery on or injury to your pelvic area?

Additional test

Ultrasound:
to
examine the blood vessels of the penis to determine if there is a problem with
penis blood flow.
Injection
test: during this test, a medication is inserted into your
penis to stimulate an erection. This allows the doctor to evaluate the firmness
of the erection and how long it lasts.
Urine
test: to check for
conditions such as diabetes
Blood
tests: to check for conditions such as diabetes, heart
disease, testosterone level.

(Diagnosing
ED first appeared in healthline.com)

Treatment for erection problems

Severity
of erectile dysfunction is often graded on a three point scale: mild, moderate
and severe. Options for treating erection problems include

Medical interventions

There
are variety of medical interventions that can be used to treat impotence.
Prescription treatment for impotence include:

Sildenafil (viagra)
Tadalafil (cialis)
Testosterone replacement therapy
Avanafil (stendra)

·
Vascular surgery may also be considered
(to improve blood flow in the penis) penial implant surgery.

You
may consult your doctor for more appropriate prescription as self-medication or
over the counter drugs are not medically advisable.

Penis pumps

This
is another option for individuals looking for noninvasive, nondrug treatments.
Penis pumps may be very effective for those with moderate erectile dysfunction.

Lifestyle changes

Drinking less and quit smoking
Strengthening communication in a romantic
relationship
Exercising more and following a healthy
diet
Reducing anxiety
Counselling
should also be considered to address possible psychological causes.

Complications of erectile dysfunction

An unsatisfactory sex life.
Stress or anxiety
Embarrassment
Relationship problems
Inability to impregnate your partner.

“Men with blood sugar imbalances have trouble
getting or maintaining erections”, says Mark Hyman, MD. Research has even shown
that sugar is a major cause of erectile dysfunction, mostly in diabetic men.

“A sugar high is short
term and not sustainable”, says Dewayne Riggins, an elite trainer, mixed
martial artist, and fitness instructor. Riggins suggests that one stick to “a
well-balanced diet throughout the day with vegetables, proteins, and good fats,
which will maintain a consistent level of energy for our body. Avoid high-sugar,
hard-to-digest food like candy and dried fruits.”

Sugar seriously hinders your libido

Leptin, is a hormone that
tells your body when to stop eating and also to monitor sexual behavior. Sugar creates
leptin resistance in the body which in turn leads to a decrease in sex
drive.

Sugar affects the level
of testosterone in men. Decreased testosterone levels will directly impact your
libido

Sugar leads to stress, which doesn’t help.

Sugar intake is one of
the classic trigger of cortisol release. Cortisol is a stress hormone. Elevated
level of cortisol in the body leads to feeling of being ‘stressed out’ and will
decrease your sex drive.

Therefore, high level of
sugar consumption (sugary foods or drinks) is directly proportional to low
level of libido. Hence, you might want to consider cutting down you daily sugar
consumption as a man.

Something
very interesting to note: each meal of the day
should be balanced and evenly spaced throughout the day in order to maintain a
consistent energy level. “Removing or reducing sugar intake will allow u to
feel balanced throughout the day and will remove the chemical reactions in your
body which result in decreased testosterone and increased stress,” says
Riggins.

Too much sugar can cause
type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes can cause
some serious problems in the bedroom. This happen because high blood sugar
level causes damage to the nerves and blood vessels, decreasing sensitivity and
making it more difficult for a man to get or maintain an erection.

Note:
type 2 diabetes may also affect women’s sexual function too much because the
damage it causes to the blood vessels can affect blood supply to the vagina and
clitoris, causing vaginal dryness and reduced arousal along with nerve
damage. Both can affect sensitivity, meaning reduced pleasure and difficulty
reaching orgasm.

How
to manage your sugar intake and boost your sex life.

A healthy diet is the key
to managing your blood sugar, weather you have type 2 diabetes, or simply think
you could be eating too much sugar or refined foods.

1.
Ditch processed foods: Most processed foods contains carbohydrates or added sugars that
can quickly spike your blood sugar level. Such foods include; white breads,
pastries, sugary breakfast cereals etc. move towards whole grains, vegetables
and whole fruits.

2.
Cut back on sugary treats

3.
Eat more vegetables: aim for low-starch
vegetables such as green vegetables or salad vegetables. Their fibers helps you
to keep fuller for long and balance out your blood sugar level.

4.
Reduce your alcohol intake: alcohol can
play havoc with your blood sugar too. Long term drinking can encourage both weight
gain and insulin resistance, increasing the risk for diabetes.

5.
Read food labels well before buy or consuming
them.

As a man, is sugar really
worth it to you? Do you want to have less sex because you love sugar? Choose your
priorities.

Thanks
for reading.

Please
subscribe and drop your comments and questions in the comment box.

Hypertension, also known
as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood
pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. However, this is a major
risk factor for coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, arterial
fibrillation, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss and chronic kidney
disease.

High blood pressure is
usually classified as primary or secondary hypertension. About 90-95% of cases
are primary. Primary hypertension is usually defined as high blood pressure due
to nonspecific lifestyle and genetic factors while the secondary hypertension
is defined as high blood pressure due to identifiable cause, such as chronic
kidney disease, narrowing of the kidney arteries, etc.

Measurement
of blood pressure

Blood pressure is
expressed by two measurements, the systolic and diastolic pressures, which are
the maximum and the minimum pressures respectively.

Blood pressure measurement.
	Normal (at rest)	Abnormal
Systolic	100-130 (mmHg)	>130 (mmHg)
Diastolic	60-80 (mmHg)	>80 (mmHg)

Note that these
measurements might slightly be higher or lower depending on geographical
locations. Also, different numbers apply to children.

Signs
and symptoms

Hypertension is rarely
accompanied with symptoms, and it’s usually identified through screening. Some
people with high blood pressure usually report symptoms such as:

Headaches (particularly at the back of the
head and in the morning)
Lightheadedness
Vertigo (when a person has the sensation
of moving, or seeing surrounding objects which are not moving as though they
were moving)
Tinnitus (buzzing or hissing in the ear)
Altered vision or fainting episodes.

Hypertensive
crisis

This
is a condition in which the blood pressure is severely elevated (equal to or
greater than 180mmHg (systolic) and 110mmHg (diastolic)). It may either involve
damage to some organs including the brain, kidney, heart and lungs resulting
from elevated blood pressure (hypertensive emergency) or not (hypertensive
urgency).

Causes

The causes of high blood
pressure will be classified based on the two types of hypertension.

For primary hypertension, causes include:

Age
Environmental factors such as location and
weather condition.
High salt intake
Lack of exercise
Central obesity
High consumption of caffeine

For secondary
hypertension (high blood pressure resulting from identifiable cause), causes
may include:

Kidney disease (the most common cause of
secondary hypertension)
Cushion’s syndrome, or acromegaly, or
other endocrine conditions.
Obesity
Pregnancy
Sleep apnea etc.

Prevention
of hypertension.

Lifestyle changes are
recommended for the prevention of hypertension. An outline with the proposed lifestyle
changes by the US National High Blood Pressure Education Program for the
primary prevention of hypertension:

Maintain normal body weight for adults (body
mass index between 20-25kg/m²)
Reduction in dietary sodium intake
Engage in regular aerobic physical activity
such as brisk walking (for at least 30min per day for most days of the week)
Limit alcohol consumption
Consume diets rich in fruits and
vegetables.

Management
of hypertension.

Management
of high blood pressure is targeted towards lowering the blood pressure and
keeping it within normal range and also prevention of possible complications
that might arise from the condition. The management approach to hypertension
involves:

Lifestyle
modification: this is the first line of treatment of
hypertension. This includes:

Dietary
changes: diets with low sodium, vegetarian diets and green tea
consumption. Also increasing dietary potassium intake has potential to lower
the blood pressure. Adopting a dietary pattern such as DASH diet or
Mediterranean diet. The DASH diet is the most suitable. DASH diet means Dietary
Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a simple diet and can be easily followed
and it entails that you:

Ø Eat
more fruits, vegetables and cow fat dairy foods

Ø Cut
back on foods that are high in saturated fats, cholesterol and trans fats

Ø Eat
more whole grain foods, fish, poultry and nuts

Ø Limit
sodium, sweets, sugary drinks and red meats.

Physical
exercise: such as isometric resistance exercise, aerobic
exercise, etc.

Medications:
antihypertensive
medications of various classes are available for the management of the
condition. Contact you doctor for the appropriate prescription and treatment.

THANKS
FOR READING.

STAY
SAFE, STAY HEALTHY.

Corps Member, Ilori Deborah Sets Covid-19 Standards, Preaches Safety Measures

The impact of Coronavirus in the last few months has cut across all sectors and for many, it is a battle for survival. To survive, the safety measures prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Centre for the Control of Diseases (NCDC) should be properly followed. This is however not the case for many rural parts of Nigeria where there is little or no access to good water supply, sanitisers and nose masks amongst others. The absence of these health essentials leave the habitants with no option but to remain vulnerable to this virus.

This is why Ilori Ayotola Deborah, a serving corps member who is passionate about selfless service to humanity, decided to move across various communities within the FCT, to sensitize, teach, on different goals of the SDGs most importantly during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ayotola visited communities, markets, schools, primary health centres, religious, places and IDP camps for sensitization, while donating relief materials to the communities with the help of benevolent individuals. On visits to IDP camps, she also taught women to make liquid hand wash and sanitizers, and empowered them financially to buy the chemicals for production. Ayotola further taught the children, gave food to children and women in the IDP and organised a medical outreach at the IDP camp.

According to Ilori Deborah, ''I went with a doctor who held the session. I saw women and children who were extremely vulnerable, and I went out of my way to write to different individuals, and organisation, for financial support with the approval of the NYSC. I got turned down in many places but some benevolent individuals supported me massively. I really appreciate them.''

Watch Video on Youtube

To curb the spread of COVID-19, Ayootola also decided to preach hand washing, the cheapest and easily accessible way to curb the spread of Covid-19. As the sharing of common taps can increase the spread of Covid-19 in communities, she decided to create a foot operated handwashing apparatus for 10 communities within the FCT, with the approval of the NYSC.

The project was commissioned by the NYSC FCT state coordinator, Hajiya Walida Siddique Isah, a woman who is best described as a mother, because for her supportive role.

In a chat with NELOC News, Ilori Deborah, who is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, thanked the NYSC scheme for the opportunity to create impact and expressed willingness to contribute more, as she is open to collaborations, partnership and support from Federal, State, Local government, and international organisations.

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Fruit is defined as the
edible part of a plant that consist of the seeds and surrounding tissues. They
are important source of micronutrients and are component of healthy diets,
which help in preventing major diseases. Nutritionally, fruits are energy-dense
foods containing vitamins, minerals, fiber and other bioactive compounds.

According to Mintah et
al. a fruit is the edible and fleshy seed-associated structures of certain
plants, which could be sweet (such as apple, oranges, grapes, strawberries,
juniper and bananas) or non-sweet (such as lemon and olives) in their raw
forms.

Some
basic concept related to health benefits of fruits and vegetables

As observed during the
specific Regional workshop on promotion of fruits and vegetables for health in
2014, there are several implications of the colours of fruits and vegetables.
This includes:

The purple/blue colour of fruits and
vegetables signifies their antioxidants properties and their ability to reduce
the risk for cancer, stroke and heart diseases.
Red colours in fruits and vegetables
reduces the risk of cancer and improves heart health (as observed in tomato,
water melon, red grapes).
Orange/yellow-coloured fruits contains
carotenoids that help in maintaining healthy eyes (e.g. carrot, lemon,
pineapple)
Brown/white-coloured fruits contains
phytochemicals having antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as
potassium. Examples of such fruits and vegetables include banana, garlic,
onions, and ginger, etc.
The green-coloured fruits and vegetables
such as green apples, spinach, cucumber, and lettuce also have phytochemicals
that contains anticancer properties.

Health
benefits of some common fruits.

PAWPAW

Pawpaw
have low calorie content, and they do not contain cholesterol. They are very
high in vitamin C, vitamin A and flavonoids (useful in body metabolism).
Vitamin A help to maintain healthy skin and eyes. Pawpaw seeds are also used in
the treatment of stomach ache and ringworm infections. It contains powerful
antioxidants such as lycopene which helps to reduce your risk of many diseases,
especially one that tend to come with age, such as heart disease and cancer.

The
ripe pawpaw are readily edible for eating but unripe pawpaw should be cooked
before eating, especially during pregnancy as the unripe papaw fruit is high in
latex, which can stimulate contractions.

BANANA

Banana
is one of the best fruit sources of vitamin B6. This vitamin helps your body
to:

·
Produce red blood cells

·
Metabolize carbohydrate and fats and turn
them into energy

·
Remove unwanted chemicals from your liver
and kidneys, and

·
Maintain a healthy nervous system.

The
fruit also contains vitamin C, which
help your body to absorb iron faster, produce collagen, the protein which hold
your skin, bones and body tight together and maintain the skin health. Vitamin
C also support the brain health by helping to produce serotonin, a hormone that
affects you sleep cycle, moods and experiences of stress and pain.

Banana
also contains high level of potassium
(around 320-400mg) which meet about 10% of your daily potassium needs.
Potassium help your body maintain a healthy heart and blood pressure. Since
bananas are also low in sodium, this low sodium and high potassium combination
help to control blood pressure.

Bananas
give you energy. The fruit contain three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose and
glucose, and no amount of fat and cholesterol, giving you fat and
cholesterol-free energy. Therefore, it is ideal especially for children, and
athletes, for breakfast, as a midday snack or before and after sports.

In summary:

·
Lowers blood pressure

·
Prevents deficiency disorders

·
Keep skin healthy

·
Boost energy level

·
Controls body weight

·
Relieve muscle cramps

·
Hangover relief

·
Regulate bowel movement

·
Combat depression

·
Lowers chances of asthma

·
Act as anti-aging agent

·
High potassium prevent heart attack.

·
Lowers morning sickness in pregnant women.

SOURSOP

Soursop
is a fruit that is popular for its delicious flavor and impressive health
benefit.

It
is also very nutrient-dense and provides a good amount of fibre and vitamin C
for very few calories. A typical serving of this fruit is low in calories yet
high in several nutrients like potassium, magnesium, thiamine among others. It
can help in the treatment of several ailments such as worms and parasites
infections and as astringent for diarrhea and dysentery. It also improve the
body’s immune system and help to fight against cancer cells and reduce the
malignancy.

CUCUMBER

cucumber
are low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fibers,
making it ideal for promoting hydration and aiding in weight loss.

Cucumbers
contains antioxidants, including flavonoids and tannins, which prevent the
accumulation of harmful radicals and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Cucumbers promotes hydration because they
contain about 96% water, and can help you meet your daily fluid needs.
It may aid in weight loss.
It lowers the blood sugar level and
prevent some complications from diabetes. Hence, it is a must eat fruit for
those suffering from diabetes.
Eating cucumber help promote regular bowel
movements and prevent constipation due to the high water content and fiber.

BREADFRUIT

consumption
of breadfruits improves eye and bone health, immune system and physical
cognitive condition. It is high in carbohydrates
that gives you ready made energy, minerals, vitamins and carotenoids. Its
consumption also protect the body against cancer, vitamin A deficiency,
diabetes and heart disease. It is low in fat and cholesterol, it’s a ready
source of cholesterol; a ready source of omega-
and omega-6 fatty acid that regulate sebum production in the scalp and
prevent hair loss. Consumption of breadfruit juice also improves the glowing of
the skin, and dietary fiber content of the fruit prevents heartburn, acidity,
ulcer and gastritis.