By Edna Montes de Occa
Dear Edna:
My husband is beginning to feel the need to use the blue pill (Viagra) when having sex. What do you suggest as an alternative? Margaret V.
Dear Margaret:
It is very important that before taking the blue pill or deciding on any alternative methods, your husband first sees several health professionals.
An endocrinologist who can support him in looking at his hormone levels, specifically in this case, his testosterone levels. A functional health specialist can also support him in measuring his metabolic and hormonal health.
A cardiologist who can support him to determine the health of his heart, arteries, and blood circulation.
As a neuropsychologist and acupuncturist, I can support stress management and optimize the functioning of the nervous system, which is basic in sending nerve impulses from the brain to the penis.
If your husband has had COVID-19, erectile dysfunction (ED) can be one of the post-COVID consequences. The New York Times recently published an article about this topic, and considerable scientific information is emerging with hard data concerning the impact of COVID on erectile dysfunction due to overall COVID-related physical health problems, as well as COVID-related stress, anxiety, and depression that could contribute to ED.
It is important to analyze your husband’s lifestyle. Does he exercise? How many days per week? What type of exercise is he doing? Is it an activity that might be causing him more stress than benefits? For example, athletes sometimes experience fatigue, mood disturbances, and other issues during times of intense exercise, which can initiate a stress response?
What kind of food does he eat? Do the foods provide the right nutrients for his system to function optimally at the cellular level? This is very important to analyze since most people eat to satisfy taste and not to provide the necessary nutrients to the body that keep it functioning at its prime level.
How does he manage his emotions? Is he a happy person, or is he a frustrated person and always judging himself?
After determining how healthy your husband is based upon questions such as these, he could try some natural remedies to promote the production of nitric oxide, which may help with his ED concerns. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, i.e., it relaxes the small muscles in our blood vessels, allowing increased blood flow through the vessels, which, in the case of the penis, can lead to an erection.
L Arginine, also known as the natural Viagra, is one example. Gingko biloba and ginseng are Chinese herbal remedies that have also been used with good results in achieving and maintaining erections. All are safe to take and do not require a prescription.
