But I WANT High Blood Pressure Down There

A man facing a double-threat of diabetes and high blood pressure finds that the strength of his erections has also dropped. Does he have to choose between an active sex life... or staying alive, period?

Case #: 975

Concern：

Currently I am a diabetic and have high blood pressure for which I am taking pills. I have noticed a decrease in my erections and I am not able to get it [up] all the time. I want to be able to find something that will help me with my high blood pressure and also to strengthen my erections.

Discussion：

“Diabetes” is a small group of similar medical conditions relating to how the body metabolizes glucose. Left untreated over time, it can complicate many medical conditions; it can even cause such things as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and various kinds of vision difficulties up to and including full blindness. It is also one of the oldest known medical conditions, with physicians' records dating back to ancient Egypt mentioning symptoms that bear a close resemblance to Type 1 diabetes.

A Sticky Situation

Diabetes causes many of these problems by damaging the blood vessels in the organs. When the body tries to repair them, the process usually leaves scar tissue. This increases blood pressure, which can lead to additional damage and more scar tissue. This kind of damage in the many tiny blood vessels in the eyeballs is why diabetics can have vision problems, but the blood vessels in the penis are every bit as vulnerable.

Strong Medicine

Different medications reduce blood pressure in different ways, such as reducing excess sodium and water or helping keep blood vessels open wider. The problem is that they are not very selective. The medications that reduce nerve signals to “manually” adjust blood vessel diameter do so on all the nerves in the body, including the ones that control erections. Likewise, the ones affecting hormones that do the same thing. It's very “digital” in that the effects are either “on” (keeping your blood pressure low throughout your body) or “off” (letting you have erections while also leaving you vulnerable to burst blood vessels elsewhere).

Sidesteps And Secondaries

You should discuss alternative means to address your high blood pressure with your health-care provider. Prescription medications are fine for getting out-of-control blood pressure back down to more manageable levels, but should be considered mostly as emergency measures, much like how a broken limb only needs a cast for a certain length of time. Once the emergency has passed and your health-care provider has determined that you can stop taking the medication, you can address the blood-pressure issue with long-term solutions; that these solutions are usually much less expensive than prescription medications is a pleasant bonus.

Your health-care provider probably handed you a couple of pamphlets on lifestyle changes that will help keep your blood pressure under control and even help with your diabetes. And let's face it: most of them are just good ideas in general. Give up smoking, cut down your daily sodium and alcohol intake, push past the lethargy that low blood-sugar encourages to pursue a moderate exercise program on a regular basis, eat less processed food in favor of whole foods, and so on. You should also consider taking an all-natural herbal supplement designed specifically to counteract the adverse effects of high blood-pressure on your sex-life. (SEE: Healthier Heart Means Healthier Penis Formula)

To sum up: your diabetes and high blood-pressure don't have to mean that you put your life on hold, or even that you have to give up an active sex life. Frankly, sexual activities... when pursued in moderation... can provide a good portion of the exercise requirements necessary for reducing your blood pressure. So do the work, take control of your medical conditions and then claim the strengthened sexual health you've earned.