Premature Ejaculation
Premature Ejaculation: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common sexual disorder affecting men under 40. It’s an embarrassing and frustrating problem that affects millions of men in the U.S. alone. Statistics indicate that anywhere between 30 and 70 percent of American males suffer from PE. Premature ejaculation is nothing to snicker about. Its negative impact on relationships and self esteem can overflow into other parts of your life, leading to depression. Couples trying to conceive are hit twice as hard.
What are the Symptoms of PE?
Like any problem, PE has varying degrees of severity. The most prevalent sign that you have PE is when ejaculation occurs sooner than both partners would have preferred, especially if it results in upset or worry. In more severe cases, however, ejaculation can happen almost instantly, perhaps before penetration is even achieved. Some men experience premature ejaculation during any sexual activity, including masturbation.
PE can be acute, happening only occasionally, or it can be a chronic problem that goes on for years. PE comes in two varieties: Primary and secondary. For men with primary PE, ejaculation usually happens within 60 seconds after penetration and they often find it impossible to hold off ejaculation. Sufferers of primary PE are frequently plagued by frustration, self doubt and a sour mood. Sometimes, they will avoid any intimacy altogether.
The symptoms of acquired PE are the same as for primary PE, except it occurs despite not having had any trouble in past sexual encounters.
What are the Causes of PE?
There are numerous known causes of premature ejaculation that range from lifestyle choices, to health problems to psychological issues.
1. Diet
Most modern diets consist largely of chemically and genetically modified, preservative soaked and heavily processed foods that have been stripped clean of their original fiber, water, protein and enzyme content. Such foods are woefully inadequate sources of the nutrients needed for healthy function of body systems. One of the first things to be affected by poor nutrition is the reproductive system. An unhealthy diet is linked strongly to all manner of sexual disorders, including PE.
Begin by removing refined sugars like table sugar and corn syrup from your diet. Refined sugars flush nutrients from your body and are the biggest cause of obesity and diabetes. It also reduces your testosterone levels, which play a significant part in your ability to function well sexually.
Avoid soy at any cost. Historically, Buddhist monks in Asia used soybeans to eliminate their sex drive. It works because soy is a potent endocrine disruptor that mimics estrogen. Naturally, this causes potentially severe hormonal and metabolic imbalances that invariably lead to some kind of sexual dysfunction.
2. Psychological Issues
Premature ejaculation with origins in the mind can be more difficult to pinpoint the causes of, but some of the more common catalysts include guilt, anxiety, excessive masturbation, previous bad sexual experiences or frequently rushing to finish. It may also be that the excitement may simply be too great, which can be remedied by using condoms or desensitizers.
3. Health Problems
Several problems can lead to PE, such as hormonal imbalances, thyroid disease, neurotransmitter imbalances, inflammation, neurological damage and infection. Diabetes is another health problem with which PE is strongly associated, highlighting the need to reduce or eliminate sugar.
Additionally, a number of drugs are known to be responsible for PE, as well as many other types of sexual dysfunction. Side effects from drugs like diabetes medications, antidepressants, anxiolytics, statins, antipsychotics and corticosteroids shoulder the blame for a significant portion of the men suffering from PE.
How is PE treated?
Premature ejaculation is a highly treatable problem depending on the cause and the individual. Some respond rapidly to treatment while others can take years to see improvement, especially in cases where the cause is psychological.
Remove the bad foods from your diet and replace them with fresh, healthy ones. Fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish contain everything that is needed for good sexual health. Many men report that their PE disappeared after a complete overhaul of their diet.
Some form of exercise is also in order. One of the most common physical causes of PE is low testosterone. High intensity, low repetition weight lifting provides a rapid and large testosterone boost that can not only vanquish PE, but also build great muscles and a bigger libido. Read our article on how to increase your libido naturally. If the cause is psychological, visits to a sex therapist may be warranted. Often times, they will recommend counseling, drugs or both. Because of the complexity of the human psyche, this course of treatment usually takes the longest.
Premature Ejaculation: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments