Author: 911mg

Erectile Dysfunction: Exercises rather than Viagra!

Known for preventing urinary incontinence in both women and men, Kegel exercises would provide an effective – and above all, sustainable! – alternative to Viagra and other pills of the kind, to treat erectile dysfunction.

In fact, an experiment in Great Britain allowed 50% of participants to solve their chronic erection problems, and one in three to improve their turgescent functions. For the purposes of the study, 55 men with erectile dysfunction for at least six months were randomly selected. Half of them had to do the Kegel exercises in addition to making lifestyle changes, such as quitting, reducing alcohol consumption, and losing weight. The other half formed the control group, which was advised to make the same changes in lifestyle, nothing more.

Kegel exercises consist of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, specifically the ischio-cavernous and bulbo-cavernous muscles. This circumscribes a good part of the base of the penis. Its function is, among other things, to maintain the blood flow at the time of erection and to “pump” the semen at the time of ejaculation. It is also the same muscle that, by reflex, empties the urethra at the end of urination.

To ensure that training of the pelvic floor muscles was adequate, the men in the first group received the advice of a physiotherapist. They learned the fast form of Kegel exercises, which involves contracting these muscles intensely, as well as preventing the evacuation of flatulence (by retracting the penis and simultaneously lifting the scrotum). The participants had to perform the exercises twice a day, in order to improve the endurance of the ischio and bulbo-cavernous muscles.

After three months, there was significant improvement in erectile function in the first group, which was not the case in the control group. The men in the first group continued their exercises at home for another three months, while during the same period, those in the control group received training in their turn.

Results: Six months after the start of the study, 40% of participants had recovered their normal erectile abilities, and 35% had achieved a significant improvement. In addition, 65% of subjects who suffered parallel urinary flow following urination saw this problem to be reduced.

In light of these findings, the authors of the study suggest that these exercises are now part of the first treatments for men with erectile dysfunction.

How to practice Kegel exercises (slow form*)

• Contract the pelvic area 10 to 20 times while keeping the contraction for ten seconds. Do not contract the muscles of the abdomen, buttocks and thighs.
• Breathe calmly.
• Release the contraction for ten seconds and then start again.
• To practice 3 to 5 times a day.

*In the fast form, one must contract and relax the pelvic floor muscles as quickly as possible.

Jaundice caused by bilirubin means a change in the color of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes, which tend to take on a yellowish appearance; this phenomenon is due to the increase in bilirubin in the blood.

Diet Jaundice may occur in neonatal or adult age; in the first case it is a physiological and harmless event, while in the second it almost always indicates a disorder of the liver, biliary tract or red blood cells.

Jaundice should not be confused with other changes in skin pigmentation such as, for example, excess carotenoids, phenolic exposure, suntan lotion, etc. The diet is able to avoid or improve the anomalies potentially responsible for jaundice. However, each of these causes has a different etiology, which must be treated specifically. This is why in the next chapter we will present a brief subdivision of the pathologies that cause jaundice.

The most common causes of increased levels of conjugated bilirubin are related to liver problems.

• Hepatitis: damage to liver cells due to inflammation may increase direct bilirubin levels.
• Liver cirrhosis: diseases such as alcoholism or certain viruses can cause the cells in the liver to be replaced by scar tissue; Severe cirrhosis causes jaundice.
• Gallstones and tumors of the pancreas can prevent the gallbladder from emptying, making it difficult to eliminate bilirubin.
• Dubin Johnson and Rotor’s syndrome: benign hereditary diseases with jaundice as the main symptom.

Some of the most common causes of indirect hyperbilirubinaemia are:

• Hemolytic anemia: disorders that cause premature red blood cell deterioration, rising levels of bilirubin and “bad cholesterol”.
• Gilbert’s syndrome: benign hereditary disease that can cause mild jaundice during stress periods or if there is poor general health.
• Crigler-Najjar syndrome: a form of hereditary jaundice that can cause brain damage to children born with it.

The treatment of jaundice depends on the disease due to the increase in bilirubin. In general, jaundice is cured by strengthening the liver, as many of its causes are determined by liver disease.

In addition to these assumptions, jaundice usually does not require treatment in adults. If it causes itching, it can be reduced by using cholestyramine, a drug that helps eliminate bilirubin.

Also, drinking lots of water, eating fruits and vegetables, and limiting the consumption of saturated fats and refined sugars are natural methods to reduce the symptoms of high bilirubin.

The question of how single men and women view casual sexual relations and how those latter impact singles has been gaining topicality in the day and age where solitude is considered an epidemics. A Eurispes survey provides a somewhat controversial cross-section of Italian youth. 44% of newlyweds betray, almost half of young people are attracted to BDSM practices and experience disengaged ties based on casual sex or bed friendships.

Casual sex is so widespread as to represent almost a predictable norm; long-term and monogamous relationships seem to be the last frontier of transgression. But what repercussions does casual sex have on psychological health? What is your connection with experiences of emptiness and loneliness?

Casual sex and safety

A large part of the scientific studies on casual sex in young people has focused on the risks associated with sexually transmitted diseases, noting how dangerous these disengaged encounters are still associated with a great lack of attention and misinformation regarding the use of contraceptive methods.

Yet it is precisely these days that the news that AIDS would be anything but in decline among Western populations, closely followed by unwanted pregnancies. We still have grounds to worry about casual sex.

A share of studies has also focused on the associations between casual sex, health or psychological distress, feelings of emptiness, loneliness or depression. A rather varied scenario emerges.

Casual sex and gender differences

Although, as has been said, casual sex represents the norm rather than the exception, there remain, in both sexes, some differences relating to culturally widespread attitudes of gender.

Although some researches do not reveal a significant difference in the predisposition to casual sex between men and women, it would be the attitude of the “day after” that would make the difference. Men would often declare themselves satisfied with the adventure of the previous night, while a higher percentage of women would report negative experiences related to guilt, a sense of having been used, and repentance.

Moreover, women would turn out to be more culturally predisposed to frame sexuality within emotionally intimate or meaningful relationships than to make it a mere instrument of pleasure or leisure.

Casual sex, depression and loneliness

Another aspect investigated by these studies is that related to psychological health. Essentially, it has been asked whether and how casual sex was related in some way to psychopathological states such as anxiety, depression or suicide attempts.

Like any other conduct, sex can also be used as an anxiolytic. In these cases casual sex becomes the indicator of a psychological disorder but not because in itself it represents a necessarily a problem, but for the purposes (often completely unconscious) with which it is used.