How Hormones Affect Sex Drive
For decades, women were told that loss of sex drive is just how it goes when we get older. Luckily more and more women are educating themselves to the fact that loss of libido is caused by unbalanced hormone levels and is entirely reversible.
Remember how you felt about sex in your 20s and early 30s? What happens between that time and, say, early 50s? For vast majority of us in perimenopause and menopause, the root cause is simple: hormonal imbalance. Hormones play crucial roles in healthy desire for sex, so as the levels of these hormones becomes unbalanced (due to age, poor diet, lack of exercise and more), our sex drive diminishes. Here is how these hormones work to maintain desire for sex. Estrogen is responsible for sensitivity during sex, as well as maintaining healthy vaginal tissue and lubrication. As estrogen reduces, sex becomes less pleasurable and vaginal dryness makes it even less so. Testosterone also plays a big role in vaginal lubrication, in your motivation to have sex and in your ability to achieve and orgasm. Finally thyroid, being the catalyst for other hormones, makes sure all of them function correctly, so low levels of thyroid throw the whole system out of whack.
Low libido in women is effectively treated by a combination of hormone replacement therapy and a balanced nutrition and exercise plan. The very first step to regaining healthy sex drive is diagnosing the underlying issue, so to discuss your problems with a medical professional who can do a comprehensive hormonal evaluation.
Millions of men are affected by low libido and sex drive. Much like erectile dysfunction, this issue is most often caused by a low testosterone, higher-than-normal estrogen, as well as poor nutrition and lack of exercise.
Every man knows that testosterone is responsible for male sexual function. Simply put: if you have low testosterone, you will have low levels of sex drive and may even experience erectile dysfunction. The way testosterone affects sexual desire is pretty simple: it stimulates the production of a neurotransmitter called nitric oxide, which is responsible for erection and arousal. As your testosterone declines (due to various reasons like age, lack of exercise, unhealthy food, etc.) and nitric oxide is insufficiently stimulated, you experience loss of interest in sex and often erectile issues. In addition to low testosterone, some men who are living in a state of hormone imbalance also have elevated estrogen (female sex hormone, produced in men in small quantities). Elevated estrogen effectively kills sex drive in men.
Low sex drive in men is effectively treated by a combination of testosterone replacement and balanced lifestyle plan. The first step to regaining healthy sex drive and having strong erections is diagnosing the underlying issue, so to discuss your problems with a medical professional who can do a comprehensive hormonal evaluation.
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