Intimacy also impacts your overall health as it can help relieve stress and promote better self-esteem.
Intimacy is important in marriage. When you and your spouse remain sexually intimate with each other, both of you will spend your married life happy. Intimacy also impacts your overall health as it can help relieve stress and promote better self-esteem.
But when your husband has erectile dysfunction, having a healthy and happy marriage might not come off as easy. This health issue can significantly affect your marriage and even your mental health. In fact, impotence is one of the major causes of divorce worldwide.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to keep an erection firm enough to engage in sexual activities. Although it’s common for some men to have problems with erection from time to time, ED is an ongoing issue and occurs routinely.
There are several reasons why men experience erectile dysfunction, such as excessive stress and having limited blood flow in and around the penis. There is also an instance when erectile dysfunction occurs as a symptom of a more serious illness, namely high blood pressure, high blood sugar (usually from diabetes), heart disease, or atherosclerosis (blocked arteries).
How Does Erectile Dysfunction Affect Marriage?
Many factors contribute to a successful marriage — and sexual intimacy is one of them. When your husband can’t keep his erection long enough to have sex with you due to erectile dysfunction, problems can eventually develop in the marriage.
One of the biggest effects of erectile dysfunction in the marriage is having an unhealthy sex life (or not having a sex life). If your husband can’t get or keep an erection, sexual intercourse will not happen as frequently or as long as before. When symptoms are severe, erectile dysfunction can even prevent men from having sexual intercourse at all.
The changes in your sex life caused by your husband’s erectile dysfunction can have short- and long-term effects on the marriage. For one, this health issue can cause anxiety in both partners. Moreover, a study published in 2014 shows that men with erectile dysfunction often feel angry, depressed, less masculine, and socially isolated.
Although only the husband experiences the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, wives are also affected by the condition. A 2016 review indicated that erectile dysfunction could cause a person’s partner to feel consistently anxious, confused, undesirable, and suspicious that their partner is unfaithful.
How erectile dysfunction affects both partners can put a strain on your marriage. Because there is a lot of stigma surrounding erectile dysfunction, many couples have difficulties communicating openly about the issue. This can cause bigger problems in the marriage.
What Are the Treatment Options for Erectile Dysfunction?
Thanks to the advent of technology, there are now several treatment options for erectile dysfunction. Doctors would usually assess the risk factors or cause of the health issue to recommend the most appropriate and effective treatment.
One of the most well-known treatments for erectile dysfunction today is acoustic wave treatment. Also known as shock wave therapy, shock wave treatment prevents the lack of blood flow in and around the penis.
This process uses low-intensity and non-invasive acoustic waves to stimulate neovascularization (growth of new, healthier blood vessels) inside the penis. These new blood vessels improve the blood flow in the penis, encouraging longer and stronger erections.
Aside from acoustic wave treatment, oral drugs or pills are also available to treat erectile dysfunction and minimize symptoms. Doctors might also recommend penile injections, penile implants, and intraurethral medication. If your husband has a history of severe pelvic trauma, doctors might recommend surgery to bypass penile artery damage.
Also read how Exercise can make a big change in lifestyle.
Seek Professional Help ASAP
Erectile dysfunction can affect your own and your spouse’s day-to-day living, which is why you should motivate your husband to seek professional help if symptoms occur. The sooner you speak to a medical professional, the better chances your husband has of getting cured. Let’s hope you understand How Erectile Dysfunction Affects Your Marriage.
