Everybody drinks alcohol for a little change and relaxation from daily chores. Especially men have are more into drinking than women, and drinking alcohol has a direct connection with sexual life. Alcohol gives extra confidence in bed. Also, it promotes to take more risks while in bed. But remember everything taken in excess can have a bad impact on health. Similarly, alcohol has adverse effects on one’s health if it is consumed in excess proportions.
Alcohol binging is a favorite pastime for men. But many of them are not aware of the effects of excess drinking on their sex life. Alcohol is said to be a depressant and can decrease sexual desires in some users. Among many effects of alcohol on sex life, one is the difficulty for a man to achieve erections. Others are maintaining the erection for longer or reaching an orgasm while under the influence of alcohol. The effects can be both short and long term. Alcohol consumption might lead to temporary erection issues, but in the long term, the same alcohol can become the cause of erectile dysfunction.
A great number of studies have also concluded that prolonged alcohol abuse can result in sexual dysfunction and, if it is severe, can also lead to impotence. Let us understand what the reasons are and how alcohol can affect erection in men.
How alcohol can affect erection
Alcohol can cause a straight forward effect on males by affecting the erection and holding them to stay. Below are the reasons how excess alcohol can mess with men’s sex life:
- It increases angiotensin: Erectile dysfunction is caused due to various reasons in the body mechanism. One of them is the hormone named angiotensin which is linked to the inability to achieve or maintain an erection. Alcohol tends to increase angiotensin. Angiotensin is responsible for balancing blood pressure and fluids in the body. Increased amount of angiotensin can cause high blood pressure and affect the tissues present during erection.
- Decreases blood flow: Alcohol speeds up the heart rate, as alcohol is a vasodilator. The outer blood vessels relax to enable more blood to flow through the skin and tissues and results in a drop/rise in blood pressure. At this point, the heart has to work harder to move the blood around the body. Penile erection is all about increased blood flow and blood circulation to the penis is required for an erection. Alcohol messes up with the blood flow and causes delays in erection.
- Reduction of testosterone: Alcohol affects the endocrine system and damages the testis’s ability in testosterone production. Testosterone is the key hormone responsible for many functions right from male sexual traits to increased sperm count. Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause stress (release of cortisol hormone), sleep deprivation, which ultimately leads to the testosterone interference and causes an erectile problem.
- Decreases sexual stimulation: Alcohol usage not only causes erection problem but it also restricts the sexual stimulation by delaying the ejaculation. Studies have also shown that excessive alcohol can delay orgasm by 30-40 minutes, increasing the inefficiency of the erection, and reduced sexual pleasure.
- Lower libido: Limited Alcohol can help in increasing sexual urge or increasing on bed confidence. Alcohol is said to have anesthetic characteristics, causing the blood flow to slow down, increasing heart rate, decreasing energy, and making you less responsive. All of these are contributors to reduction in sexual drive. Men usually do not get aroused after excessive drinking and hence can face the hassle of no erections. Additionally, the sex drive tends to decrease as the alcohol build-up increases. So once it gets increased, the erectile dysfunction can shift from temporary issue to a long term problem.
- Interferes with the brain messengers: It’s nothing new that alcohol has a direct effect on the brain. Alcohol interferes with the neurotransmitters in the brain and causes the brain chemistry to slow down just like anesthesia. These messengers transmit the signals throughout the body that control thought processes, behavior, and emotions. Alcohol affects them, and they do not provide the penile erection with desired functions.
- Depresses the central nervous system: Studies have found that there is a connection between CNS and the erectile function. Alcohol tends to depress the cells of the brain resulting in depressed CNS, ultimately leads to erectile dysfunction on a short or long term basis. Alcohol brings an instant effect on the brain and body, even if the consumption is done in moderation. But as a result of excessive consumption, it goes on increasing, and the brain starts developing a pattern.
- Premature ejaculation: Many men do not face problems in erection, but they do experience a quick ejaculation leading to very low sexual stimulation, leading to very little staying time for erection. Alcohol, hence can contribute to a lack of erection staying. On the other hand, the same can happen again and again, and the dysfunction can further increase.
Erectile dysfunction can be a temporary or long term menace. But it’s not always true that only alcohol is the solely responsible element in Erectile dysfunction. So it’s very important to find the right cause and treat the cause. Bluechew is a service that provides chewable pills of sildenafil or tadalafil by licensed medical professionals. Its aim is assisting people in choosing convenient, affordable, and chewable tablets for more satisfaction in sexual life.
Conclusion
Any food or beverage that we consume ultimately gets into the bloodsteram and is metabolized to glucose to provide us with energy. Similarly, alcohol also goes through similar processes and organs like any normal food or beverage. But in the case of alcohol, the body has its ways to react. The body’s focus shifts to alcohol breakdown, neglecting any other function. Right from causing numbness to the body to confusing the central system, alcohol leads to several side effects. More alcohol consumption leads to more alcohol building in the body, and it affects the blood flow too.
As it is, erection and blood circulation are connected. So, if the blood flow gets affected, it is obvious that the erection will get affected. Along with the blood, some other organs and play a role in getting a proper erection. These functions get imapcted by the effects of excessive drinking.
So, now the question is, should men stop drinking? No, that does not mean they should stop it completely. The key is drinking in moderation. Moderate amounts of alcohol can help to combat stress and anxiety. Our body organs can break down the amount of alcohol in about an hour. But as per the studies, men should not drink more than 2-3 glasses of alcohol a day. Anything more is excessive to the body, even if it’s just on the weekends or for events.
Drinking does lower social inhibitions and increases the likelihood of poor impulse control, and can take away the sexual desires. As a result, the erection function can be affected at an instant moment, and also the build-up can rise and impact in the long term. Reaching out to doctors in time can help in reducing the risk and it also helps in curing erectile problems in the best way.