Alcohol abuse leads to the most serious disorders and consequences. This is especially true for erectile dysfunction. How interrelated are alcoholism and potency in men? What are the consequences of drinking alcohol abuse? Can lost health be restored?
How does alcohol cause impotence?
Alcoholic drinks contain ethanol, which has a negative effect on the entire body. It affects erectile function and can even cause impotence. This applies not only to alcohol addicts, but also to those who regularly drink on weekends, wanting to relax after a hard working week. Their body is less, but also suffers.
Hormonal imbalance
Ethyl alcohol and erection are two incompatible concepts. The male hormone (testosterone) is produced by the testes, which atrophy under the influence of alcohol. This leads to the fact that sperm cannot go through a full cycle of formation, become unable to fertilize an egg. The diagnosis is infertility.
The influence of alcohol on potency
Ethanol adversely affects the cortex of the adrenal glands. These paired glands also produce some testosterone. At too high dosages, the liver suffers. The organ begins to produce enzymes that adversely affect all hormones, including the main male. This leads to a gradual apathetic attitude towards the opposite sex and loss of male power.
Pumping with alcohol, as already mentioned, leads to a decrease in the quality of sperm, which begin to mutate. If this does not lead to infertility, there is a high risk of mutagenic changes in the genome, the birth of unhealthy offspring with serious or incurable ailments. A man needs to think not only about his own health, but also about future children when he plans to become a father.
Low testosterone levels lead to the following problems:
- decreased sex drive, inability to conceive, impotence;
- metabolic disorders, hormonal levels and the accumulation of fatty deposits due to a slowdown in lipid breakdown;
- change in secondary sexual characteristics – raising the timbre of the voice, breast augmentation and others;
- excessive irritability, depression, loss of tone, physical and mental fatigue;
- deterioration of mental processes, manifested in forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating on making decisions, performing difficult tasks;
- reduced life expectancy and faster aging of the male body.
Ethyl alcohol can create a female hormone (estrogen) from male testosterone. This is manifested in the fact that the representatives of the stronger half begin to get fat, lose interest in the opposite sex. As a result, complete impotence occurs.
Does alcohol affect potency?
Effects on the brain
Temporary amnesia regarding the events of the previous evening / night seems to be a harmless effect of alcohol, but continuing to drink can cause a person to fall prey to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. It manifests itself as impairment of memory, visual and speech functions, and causes episodic seizures of epilepsy.
Alcoholic beverages produce natural neurotransmitters – gamma-aminobutyric acid and dopamine-2. The first is responsible for tranquility, and the second is responsible for the “center” of pleasure. A high concentration of these compounds leads to the following consequences:
- dyspnea;
- high blood pressure;
- delirium;
- sudden spasms;
- nightmares;
- hallucinogenic state;
- arrhythmia (heart palpitations);
- hallucinations;
- depressive state;
- excessive aggression.
Alcohol releases special hormones called endorphins, which provide pain relief. For this property, they are also known as an endogenous drug. Compounds are naturally released through physical, sexual, chewing, and other activity.
When their number increases sharply in an unnatural way, depression develops, the pleasure of sexual intercourse decreases, and a feeling of extreme fatigue arises.
Attention! When planning to conceive, you should abstain from alcohol for three months. This is how long the alcohol decomposition products are removed from the body. This improves the quality of sperm and reduces the risk of health problems in the unborn child.
Effect on blood vessels
Many people drink alcohol to relieve headaches. It helps by increasing the vascular lumen caused by spasms. The effect does not last long, the condition worsens again and usually the state of health becomes even more difficult. This confirms the detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system.
The effect of alcohol on the circulatory system depends on the dose, age, general condition, the presence of pathologies and chronic concomitant diseases. A small amount drunk by a young man leads to the expansion of the walls of blood vessels, protecting against spasms and blood clots. In an experienced alcoholic, this can even cause death.
The overall scheme of action is as follows:
- Ethanol enters and remains in the blood for about 5 hours. The vessels relax and expand. The blood flow increases, the pressure decreases.
- Capillaries, unable to withstand such a strong flow, burst. The heart is forced to work faster, receiving a huge load.
- Adrenaline is released into the thinned blood. This leads to the very state of euphoria that many men seek when drowning grief in a bottle.
This leads to a violation of the transport of vitamins, nutrients, oxygen to various organs, including the small pelvis, which leads to erectile dysfunction. The most affected are erythrocytes, the membrane of which is destroyed by ethanol. Blood clots form in the vessels, and due to a decrease in blood sugar, cholesterol rises, toxins and toxins accumulate.
Lack of moisture
The alcoholic component negatively affects the water balance, dries up mucous membranes, having a strong diuretic effect. The amount of lost moisture is many times greater than that lost.
Alcohol and potency
Dehydration entails serious complications, including irreversible:
- dysfunction of the adrenal glands and kidneys;
- brain cells die off due to excessive blood density;
- mental disorders;
- digestive problems;
- weakening of immunity.
If you abuse alcohol on an ongoing basis, taking into account the not always controlled duration of sleep, dehydration becomes systematic.
Nerve cell damage
The main danger of alcohol lies in the rapid penetration of ethanol into the mucous membranes:
- after 8-10 minutes after taking an intoxicating drink, the first signs of influence on the central nervous system appear;
- the full effect becomes noticeable after about 20-25 minutes;
- the higher the dosage of alcohol, the longer it lingers, killing the cells of the nervous system.
Why is it harmful to drink alcohol?
This entails a disruption in the work of the central and peripheral nervous system.
Secondary disorders
Against the background of the abuse of alcoholic beverages, many ailments and problems develop:
- loss of visual acuity, smell, taste;
- renal failure;
- diseases of the heart muscle;
- personality dementia.
With alcohol dependence, absolutely all systems and organs suffer, including erectile function.
Attention! Some men use oil before a feast. It is mistakenly believed by many to protect the stomach lining from alcohol absorption. No such effect occurs. Dissolving in it, alcohol inflicts an even greater blow on the pancreas and liver. The only oil that is not absorbed by the stomach is petroleum jelly, which is a strong laxative.
The influence of beer
Belly enlargement from beer is not a myth. The drink is saturated with a large amount of carbohydrates, yeast, herbal analogs of estrogen (female hormone). The latter leads to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat in the abdominal region and enlarges the mammary glands. The amount and calorie content of the snacks consumed does not matter. Even those men who do not eat are obese.
Useful Tips
List of the best natural aphrodisiacs for men.
Phytoestrogens are not the main enemy that threatens the quality of a man’s sex life due to drinking beer. Fat cells actively produce aromatase, which converts testosterone into estradiol, which is another female hormone. This leads to a decrease in libido, erection. Many representatives of the strong half attribute this to regular stress, age-related changes and other extraneous external factors, and the reason is the abuse of an intoxicated drink.
Wine and spirits
Good cognac, brandy, wine are an excellent aphrodisiac, but in limited quantities. A couple of glasses or 50 ml of a stronger alcoholic drink for a romantic dinner will relax the psyche and blood vessels. It gives vigor and increases physical endurance, and also liberates partners.
Attention! It is necessary to distinguish between alcoholism and the rare use of spirits. Most of even the highest quality things are in excessive quantities, and even more alcohol-containing drinks.
There is another side to the coin. Drinks must be of the highest quality, which is matched by a fairly high cost. Often, a surrogate is offered under an expensive brand and price tag. Another problem is that some men become addicted to alcohol and the feeling of euphoria that it gives.
Alcoholism and impotence in men after 40 years
With age, strong drinks begin to affect the body of representatives of the strong half of humanity even more. It undergoes changes due to aging processes, and alcohol abuse makes the consequences catastrophic. Men who are in their 40s and drink alcohol face the following problems:
- weak erection or complete lack of potency;
- inability to control ejaculation;
- reluctance to intimacy;
- nervous disorders.
Dissatisfaction with life pushes a person to continue drinking, leading to alcoholism and worsening erection. The more alcohol is drunk, the worse. Soon, sexual intercourse becomes absolutely impossible. Alcohol and problems with potency in men after 40 years is a fairly common occurrence that leads to the development of impotence.
Restoration of potency after giving up alcohol
Refusal to use intoxicating drinks does not always lead to a complete return of the lost health. Irreversibility is due not so much to “experience” in drinking alcohol, but to the degree of damage to the body. It is individual for everyone. Men suffering from alcoholism need to get rid of the problem first. If you cannot do this on your own, they contact the clinic.
When you have successfully abandoned the bad habit, you should contact a urologist. To choose a treatment regimen, a specialist prescribes:
- analyzes for hormonal profile and cholesterol;
- Ultrasound of the vessels of the penis to establish the rate of outflow and blood flow to the organ;
- smear for the absence or presence of infections.
The earlier you start therapy, the higher the likelihood of full restoration of potency. On average, the healing process for middle-aged men (30-40 years old) takes from 6 months to 1 year. Complex therapy without fail involves adherence to the correct daily regimen, changing the diet, and playing sports.