The nerves that control internal organs are
called autonomic nerves. These nerves are not dependent on your willingness to
send signals to the brain as it usually happens when you lift an arm, blink or
walk from one place to another. These are the nerves that give commands to your
body to breathe or to digest what you eat. Autonomic nerves are responsible for
the body's response to sexual stimulation. The erection is performed by autonomic
nerve signals that cause increased blood flow to the genitals. When
uncontrolled diabetes damages the nerves and small blood vessels, the normal
function of the sexual organs are affected.
How
diabetes can affect male sexuality?
Changes in sexual function and annoying
bladder symptoms are common during the aging process. Diabetic patients may
face an early onset of sexual and urologic complications. Glucose levels
recommended by the National Coordinator Diabetes Information Centre (NDIC, for
its acronym in English) range from 70-130 before meals and less than 180 an
hour or two after starting to eat. When glucose level in the blood are elevated
for an extended period of time, it begin to damage blood vessels and nerves,
also affecting the signals to the autonomic nerves and thus the blood flow to
the genitals.
Erectile
Dysfunction (ED)
The ED is a disability to have and maintain a hard erection from the beginning to the end of the sexual act or sexual
intercourse. Diabetic men are two to three times more likely to have erectile
dysfunction than those who are not diabetic. Men with diabetes may experience erectile dysfunction between 10-15 years earlier than non-diabetic men.
The high blood pressure, blood vessel
disease, kidney disease, and hormonal deficiencies are other factors to have
erectile dysfunction. Poor health habits such as alcoholism, smoking and
obesity could also affect erection as psychological factors. The use of some
medications to treat heart disease and depression, among others, could also be
the cause of erectile disorder.
Retrograde
ejaculation
It occurs when part or all of the semen
instead of coming out through the tip of the penis during ejaculation goes into
the bladder or internal sphincter muscles open and close automatically. These
are responsible for blocking the flow of blood to the penis to stay erect
during sex for ejaculation and those responsible for closing the duct access to
the bladder so that semen is expelled through the penis.
When you suffer from retrograde ejaculation,
semen enters the bladder and mixed with urine. The semen is expelled through
urine. This condition does not affect the bladder, but brings infertility.
Urological
conditions
Among the most common are: overactive
bladder, uncontrolled sphincter muscles, urinary retention and urinary tract
infections. Because of damage to nerve terminals, the bladder contracts without
notice. This disorder is known as overactive bladder. When you suffer from
overactive bladder, you urinate more frequently than normal, you feel strong
and sudden desires and experience drip.
The sphincter muscles are located around
the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body, or urethra. When
these muscles are damaged, it can cause involuntary leakage of urine when an
individual wishes to urinate.
Due to damage of the nerve endings of the
bladder, muscles do not get the signal that it is up to urinate, or the signal
is very weak and fail to empty the bladder completely. If the bladder is too
full pressure can affect the kidneys. When urine stays in the bladder too long
can cause infections.
Avoid
the risk
For urological disorders, erectile
dysfunction and infertility not affect your sex life and health, you must:
·
keep your glucose levels stable
·
keep LDL or "bad"
cholesterol below 100
·
keep blood pressure below
130/80
·
control your weight through
dieting to look after your heart and diabetes
·
If you drink, do so in
moderation
·
Avoid smoking
·
Train yourself daily
Sometimes due to an embarrassment or
indignity, patients do not prefer to treat these health conditions related to
their sexual organs and bladder. The delay in treating these conditions can
cause serious complications. Talk to your doctor if you notice changes in your
sex life.
