All About Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual dysfunction is an umbrella term that refers to any number of particular problems. The most acknowledged of these include impotence and erectile dysfunction in men, which refers to an inability to achieve an erection, maintain one, or recurring failure to reach ejaculation.

For women, one of the most common forms is known as frigidity, which is used to describe those who are indifferent or apathetic to sex, do not respond to sexual stimulation, or who cannot achieve orgasm during intercourse.

Although unknown to most people, women suffer higher rates of sexual dysfunction than men. Many women, in fact, go through life without ever knowing the joys that experiencing orgasms bring.

It is medically well understood that a satisfying sex life is crucial for good overall well-being. During sexual activity, the interplay of hormones, neurotransmitters and other bodily functions all factor significantly in helping maintain the general health of the body.

1. Psychological (Psychogenic) Causes Of Sexual Dysfunction

This type of sexual dysfunction accounts for about 15 - 20% of impotence cases. It primarily results from anxiety, depression or even lack of a suitable partner. In these cases there is no apparent somatic or organic impairment. In other words, there is no physical damage that causes the sexual dysfunction.

Impotence brought about by the use of certain medications, such as anti depression drugs and beta blockers that reduce blood pressure, could be considered a subset of this section, as could erectile insufficiency brought on by excessive alcohol intake.

If you suspect your sexual dysfunction may be due to psychological reasons, seek the advice of sex therapist or other professional. Sexual dysfunction in women is generally more complex than it is in men because the interplay between the physical and emotional that engenders arousal is stronger.

2. Neurogenic Causes of Sexual Dysfunction

This is the term used when male sexual dysfunction is associated with a neuropathy (e.g. nerve damage in the nervous system affecting the penis arising from, for example, surgery or a pelvic injury).

This is the cause of male impotence in about 10 - 15 percent of cases.

This term is used to describe situations in which the sensations between the brain and the sexual organs are disrupted by some form of neuropathy.

3. Organic Cases Of Sexual Dysfunction

This is by far the greatest cause of diminished male sexual dysfunction and, for that matter, sexual dysfunction in women. Fortunately, however, it is also the easiest to help.

Male sexual dysfunction caused by organic means can range from complete impotency to just a general lack of libido (sexual desire) and loss of youthful erection hardness and ejaculatory strength.

There are multiple causes of organic erectile insufficiency, but the end result is the same: lack of arterial blood flow to and within the penis. Without an unimpeded flow of blood to the penis, and all its capillaries, an erection is physically impossible.

The most common cause of lack of blood flow is atherosclerosis of the arteries carrying blood to the penis.

Atherosclerosis of the arteries is a condition that cannot be rectified over night, but can be with time. However, for those men for whom this condition is affecting their sexual health and sex life in general, they need a solution now.

And, there is a solution for up to 70% of men and women with organic causes of sexual dysfunction, and that is either through the use of a prescription drug or the use of some natural remedy.

However, lack of libido or sexual desire is a different type of problem, and oftentimes men who have erectile problems still have strong libidos and vice versa. On the other hand, some men do not have erectile difficulties, but suffer from a low libido nonetheless.

Drugs such as Viagra cannot address this latter issue because they are not designed to increase sexual desire, but only help a man achieve an erection. Some natural remedies, however, can help.

More on these later.

The female sexual function is a complex interaction of hormonal events and psychosocial relationships. Apart from the emotional and psychological causes, atherosclerosis of the arteries still plays an important role in possible sexual dysfunction as do physical changes, which can include vaginal dryness or atrophy; in turn, these can contribute to vaginal pain, discomfort, irritation, fatigue, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, night sweats, and other general health concerns.

Most people are aware of Viagra, the wildly popular prescription drug manufactured by Pfizer. Although Viagra can help treat erectile dysfunction, it cannot increase a low male libido, as we mentioned above.

In addition, because of the complexity and scope of the organic causes of female sexual dysfunction, the pharmaceutical companies have as yet not been able to come up with a drug to help women.

Sidenote: To understand how drugs like Viagra work for sexual dysfunction, it is necessary to understand some basic physiology. This is important even if you don't have a problem in this department. By understanding the physical process behind an erection it will help you sustain and improve your sexual vitality. It will also help you better understand your options for improving your sexual dysfunction or recovering your sex life.

The key to a full and firm erection is nitric oxide. Upon sexual stimulation, nitric oxide is released in the corpus cavernosum, which is a large chamber within the upper part of the penis. The nitric oxide activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which results in increased levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). The cGMP produces smooth muscle relaxation in the corpus cavernosum, which allows the inflow of blood-—resulting in an erection.

In short, the nitric oxide clears the pathway to allow the blood to flow into the penis. Thus, if the nitric oxide release is insufficient or is not sustained, an erection will not be achieved.

A similar pathway applies to women, except in this case the flow of blood is to the clitoris.

Now, the active ingredient in Viagra, a chemical called Sildenafil citrate, blocks the production of an enzyme PDE5 that degrades cGMP, thus allowing men to achieve an erection.

Unfortunately, Viagra has known side effects and it will not increase a low libido, which is largely responsible for the enjoyment of sexual activity.

Research has established that there are a number of standardized herbal extracts, amino acids, vitamins, and other substances that can contribute in different ways to help men and women regain their sexual vitality and possibly alleviate their sexual dysfunction.

Some of these substances can be applied topically to stimulate blood flow to the clitoris or penis, whereas others are taken orally as nutritional supplements to help strengthen the sexual organs and the appropriate metabolic pathways.

In contrast to Viagra, some of these natural remedies for sexual dysfunction work by raising the body's production of nitric oxide naturally. This, in turn, makes it unnecessary to block the production of the enzyme PDE5, the mechanism by which viagra works.

The bottomline is that prescription drugs like Viagra works by obstructing a natural bodily process, whereas natural remedies work by strengthening the basic cause of the insufficiency. Because these natural remedies work with the body's mechanisms as opposed to countering them, they do not harbor the same level of potentially adverse side effects.

L-Arginine: It has long been known that L-Arginine will stimulate the release of nitric oxide into the corpus cavernosum. L-Arginine is a non-essential amino acid, which means the body does not produce it naturally. It must be obtained from external sources.

However, researchers discovered that L-Arginine on its own was insufficient to address the issue of sexual dysfunction, and that it should be combined with other natural and organic constituents to stimulate enough release of nitric oxide. Furthermore, they also identified bio-active herbs that served to stimulate the neurotransmitters that are responsible for libido and sexual pleasure, an area that Viagra cannot improve.

Although L-Arginine was needed by both men and women to counter sexual dysfunction, some of the other bio-active herbs differed due to the unique physiological differences between the sexes.

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