Sex after 65 is simply not the same as when you were still in your 30s. For one, your body is a lot older. Your reproductive organs age, too. And as they age, they go through many changes that influence your sexuality.
When you’re in your senior years already, you may be dealing with various diseases that are common in elderly people. Many of these diseases can cause sexual dysfunction, or at the very least, can negatively affect your ability to enjoy sex. Take a look at how your sexuality can be negatively affected by these 6 medical conditions.
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Arthritis
If you’ve got arthritis, then it means that you frequently experience joint pains. When you’re in pain like this, it can make sex quite uncomfortable. You’ll probably be able to have sex comfortably if you’re not going through an arthritis flare. But it’s not like you can predict exactly when the next flare would happen.
Still, it’s a good idea to time your sexual activities when you’re not having an arthritis flare. It’s even better to manage your condition well so that you can prevent a flare-up from happening.
If you have osteoarthritis and you notice that your flare-ups are triggered by weather changes, closely monitoring the weather may help you estimate which days would be good for engaging in sex.
If you have rheumatic arthritis, your flare-ups may be triggered by stress, overexertion, infections, or when you’re not sleeping well. One way to prevent flare-ups from happening is to make sure that you don’t skip your medications.
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Diabetes
According to the CDC’s 2017 report on National Diabetes Statistics, around 12 million Americans aged 65 years and older have diabetes. That’s approximately 20% of the elderly population in the United States. If you’re one of them, you may also be at risk of developing complications associated with diabetes such as erectile dysfunction.
In fact, the relationship between diabetes and erectile dysfunction is well-documented. Men who have had diabetes for a long time develop impotence because the blood vessels and nerves located in the genital area are often damaged by diabetes.
In women, diabetes can also lead to various sexual problems. The most common sexual concern among older female diabetic patients is reduced vaginal lubrication. They’re also prone to vaginal yeast infections that can result in irritation and itching. This can also make sex uncomfortable.
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Heart Diseases
Atherosclerosis caused by the hardening and narrowing of the arteries is another disease that’s common among the elderly. It can prevent blood from flowing freely. In turn, this can result in erectile dysfunction in men. Women also suffer sexual problems due to atherosclerosis. They may take a longer time before they become sexually aroused.
For those who have experienced a heart attack, they may become too worried about sex causing another heart attack. These fears may prevent them from fully enjoying their sexuality. The truth is that once you’ve already fully recovered from your heart attack, it’s generally safe to engage in sex again.
Of course, it would be a good idea to discuss this with your doctor first, just to make sure that your condition is really stable enough for sex. If your doctor says that your condition is still unstable, you should refrain from having sex until it’s safe for you to do so.
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Urinary Incontinence
It’s common for the elderly to experience a decrease in their bladder control. Urinary incontinence or leaking of urine is quite common in elderly women. During sex, there’s extra pressure exerted on the belly, and this can result in incontinence. This may prevent them from engaging in sex as they may become too embarrassed about leaking urine while having sex.
Men also suffer from urinary incontinence, and it can be quite inconvenient, especially if it happens during sex. Male incontinence during sex usually happens either when you climax or during foreplay.
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Surgery
Any type of surgery involving organs in your genital region can have adverse effects on your sexuality. For example, if you’ve had a radical prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer, you will most likely experience erectile dysfunction.
For sure, you will experience problems with ejaculation. That’s because the prostate gland, which is completely removed during radical prostatectomy, produces your seminal fluid. This means that once your prostate is removed, you won’t have any seminal fluid anymore. Hence, when you ejaculate, nothing goes out of your penis.
Surgeries for the treatment of enlarged prostate may also cause sexual dysfunction. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is one of the standard surgical procedures for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. Although the likelihood is not very high, you may develop erectile dysfunction after your TURP surgery.
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Medications
Several types of medications commonly prescribed for older people have adverse sexual effects. These medications include antihistamines, blood pressure medicines, tranquilizers, medications for cancer or Parkinson’s disease, and antidepressants.
These medications may cause you to experience ejaculatory problems such as delayed ejaculation. You may also develop medication-induced erectile dysfunction or reduced libido. In women, these medications can cause vaginal dryness, reduced libido, as well as arousal and orgasmic dysfunctions.
Enhancing Your Sexual Health
Even when you’re already considered an elderly person, your sexual health is still important. In fact, sexual wellness can affect your overall quality of life and your sense of well-being. This is why you should consider taking male sex enhancement supplements to help you manage your sexual health.
If you’re looking for a supplement that’s safe and made with natural ingredients, an herbal supplement is the best supplement for you. It’s formulated using several herbal ingredients that are all known for their efficacy in enhancing male sexual function.
It can help with your libido problems, and it can also help normalize your declining testosterone levels. More importantly, it effectively facilitates erections so you engage in and fully enjoy sex again.
That’s because it contains herbs that are proven effective in treating erectile dysfunction. These natural ingredients include Tribulus terrestris, horny goat weed, maca, Butea superba, and Tongkat Ali.
All these herbs have pro-erectile effects that can help you achieve erections whenever you’re in the mood for it. These natural ingredients are also recognized as potent aphrodisiacs that can greatly improve your libido.
