How habits and lifestyle affect men's health. Part 2

Sexual activity is one of the most crucial constituents of men's life. Irregular intimate life, absence of a permanent sexual partner, chronic stress – all this can affect sexual health of men and not in a good way. In this article we continue to explore the ways lifestyle affects men's health.

Lack of intimacy

• Men who rarely have sex are twice as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, as opposed to those who have sex at least once a week or more often. The authors of the popular publication "The American Journal of Medicine" associate this feature with the physiology of the penis: it is a muscle that becomes weak without constant physical exertion.
• In 2001, researchers from the University of Georgia studied the effect of abstinence from sex on men's health. Doctors have concluded that the lack of sex leads to the fact that men are more prone to depression and uncontrolled outbursts of aggression.
• The lack or absence of sex is the cause of the stagnation in the seminal ducts. Moreover, it takes an erection for the penis to get the amount of oxygen it needs. If sexual intercourse has not occured for a long time, then blood vessels are getting clogged, which negatively affects men's sexual health.

Frequent change of sexual partner

• A group of researchers from University College London has come to the conclusion that having 10 or more sexual partners over a lifetime increases the likelihood of developing cancer. That is the result of sexually transmitted infections. Urologists believe that men who have 5 different partners in a year are at increased risk because of the possibility of contracting such diseases (including hepatitis C, HIV).
• A large number of sexual partners and their frequent changes can even lead to depression. In the future men begin to experience serious difficulties: they cannot settle on one permanent partner and start a family.

Chronic stress

• Negative emotions and being suppressed expand the capillaries. This impairs blood flow in the pelvic region and slows down the lymphatic outflow (which is responsible for the movement of proteins in the body). As a result, proteins stagnate in the intercellular space, which leads to a decline in erectile function.
• Stress hormones put additional stress on the heart and increase the heart rate. That affects the quality and duration of sex.
• Because of constant anxiety and nervousness, it becomes difficult for men to relax. In this case, it gets simply impossible to be satisfied with sex and experience an orgasm.

Lack of sleep

• In the male body, the maximum concentration of sex hormones is reached during sleep. That is why men have an erection in the morning. If the body does not get enough sleep, then less hormones are produced. A long-term lack of testosterone leads to a decrease in activity (mental and physical) and sexual desire.
• American experts have found that insomnia is one of the causes of early death in men, since chronic lack of sleep provokes the development of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the artery through which blood flows to the penis is very small, so it is the first thing to be affected by heart disease.

It is worth considering that abstinence from sex, lack of sleep and stress over a short period of time will not cause serious damage to men's health. However, if these negative factors seem to be your constant companions, you should seriously think about the consequences. To make sure your body is functioning in the way it is supposed to, try to minimize the presence of those factors in your life.