Can you have ED and still be healthy?

Yes, it is absolutely possible to experience ED and still be healthy. The thing is, how you define healthy actually goes beyond how physically fit you might be. 

It’s a combination of emotional, mental, and physical health. Stress on your body and mind, as well as hormonal changes, can affect how well your body responds to sexual arousal. 

Stress from work, relationships, or life changes like moving house can all affect how your body responds to arousal. And it doesn’t matter how many miles you run each week.

Though it might seem counterintuitive, sometimes being ‘too healthy’ can factor into why you’re experiencing ED. Overtraining without enough rest or sticking to extreme diets puts your body under a lot of physical stress. In this state, your body is too distracted at keeping itself going to focus on anything like sex. 

Feeling constantly tired (fatigue) and burnt out with work affects your entire system, including your mind. Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, which can happen regardless of your physical fitness, can cause ED (known as psychological erectile dysfunction).

Aside from stress, either emotional or physical, hormonal changes can affect your ability to perform. Testosterone (male sex hormone) naturally varies throughout your life but begins to decline gradually from around age 30 to 40 (1). This is often where the idea of erectile dysfunction only happening in older men comes from.

If you’re concerned that your ED is caused by hormonal changes, please speak with your GP for advice.

What does 'healthy' actually mean?

What being healthy actually means can be subjective, but truly looking after yourself extends beyond the gym and meal prep. It’s about finding the right help when you need it. 

Lifestyle changes

This might involve fine-tuning your current healthy habits rather than overhauling them completely. It could mean building in more rest days, learning meditation, or making sure you get enough sleep. Just start small and see how your body reacts with each change. 

Professional support

If you feel that your erectile dysfunction is being caused by anxiety or low mood, speaking with a therapist can be extremely helpful to uncover the root cause of your feelings. Though there is still the impression among some people that men don’t talk about feelings, going to therapy is becoming more commonplace and should not be thought of as a sign of weakness.

Medication

Changing habits and seeking counselling takes time. Erectile dysfunction treatments can be used during this time, but it is important to understand that these medicines are most effective when any underlying condition or issue is addressed.

If you decide to explore ED medicine and look to buy online, it’s essential to find a regulated pharmacy like ours. As an online service, we aim to remove some of the awkwardness of talking about the support and medicine you need.

But, regardless of whether you speak with us, your GP, or a therapist, taking the first step is most important.

References

1. NHS . The “male menopause” [Internet]. NHS. 2019.