Men & Diabetes 
Some diabetes problems hit guys below the belt. It’s not easy to talk about health—especially sexual health—but don’t drop the ball. Speak with your doctor about managing diabetes-related problems that could keep you on the sidelines. OK guys, let’s be honest.
Some of you don’t take great care of your health. You walk off injuries. You may not pay attention to signs that something’s wrong. And the No.1 reason you don’t go to the doctor? Research shows it’s because you don’t want to hear bad news. But that means you won’t get to hear the good news either. We’ll get to that below.
As a guy, you’re more likely to get at a lower weight than women. One reason is that men store more fat in their bellies—a known risk factor. And more men than women have diabetes that’s undiagnosed; maybe it’s that “don’t want to hear bad news” thing.
- Diabetes puts both men and women at for heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney failure, even amputation of a toe, foot, or leg.
- But some diabetes problems hit guys directly below the belt: With ED, a man can’t get or keep an erection firm enough for sex.
- ED is common in middle-aged and older men – as many as 30 million in the United States have it.
Men with diabetes are three times more likely to have ED. Getting older doesn’t cause ED, but it does increase your chance of getting it. First, some facts. Here’s what ED isn’t:
Occasional trouble having an erection. That really does happen to everyone. Less interest in sex. ED happens when a man wants to have sex but can’t have or keep an erection. Problems with ejaculation, which can mean a structural problem with the penis.
It’s not uncommon to have trouble getting an erection sometimes, but if it gets worse, happens often, or prevents you from living the life you want, it’s time to get it checked out. Men who have diabetes are more likely to have heart disease, and ED can be a warning sign of blood vessel problems. 
Team up with your doctor to manage diabetes-related problems so you can stay in the game.
Damage from high blood sugar or high blood pressure to nerves and blood vessels needed to have an erection Some medicines for high blood pressure, depression, or allergies (don’t stop taking them, but do talk with your doctor to see if you can take a different medicine or lower the dose) Treatment for prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate Surgery that affects the pelvic area or spinal cord Using tobacco or alcohol Sleep disorders
It’s important to visit your doctor to find out if any of these causes are contributing to ED. It can be tough to talk about ED, but it’s a conversation you need to have with your doctor so you can get treated. The good news is more than 95% of men – you and almost all of the other guys in the waiting room with you – can be treated successfully.
Medicine: If you have normal nerve function, you could take a type of medicine that increases blood flow to the penis. Sometimes these medicines don’t work well for guys with diabetes and should NOT be taken if you’re also taking nitrates for your heart. Be sure to check with your doctor about any possible medicine interactions. Testosterone: Sometimes having low testosterone (low T) can cause ED. Men with diabetes are twice as likely to have low T than men who don’t have diabetes. Taking testosterone may help you have normal erections or help ED medicine work better. It can also make low blood sugar worse and increase blood pressure, so make sure to get regular checkups to spot and manage any problems. Vacuum device: This is a plastic tube that fits over the penis, creating a low-pressure vacuum that causes an erection. An elastic ring is slipped onto the base of the penis to hold blood in and maintain the erection. With training, about 75% of men can get an erection firm enough for sex. Injection or suppository: For an immediate erection just before sex, you can inject a medicine into the side of the penis with a very small needle, or place a tiny pill in the urethra (the tube urine comes out of). Implant : A penile implant placed inside the penis by surgery is often recommended if other treatments don’t work. However, if you’re having trouble managing your blood sugar, your chance for infection after surgery is higher and your doctor may advise against an implant.
Sometimes treatment for ED can cause a long-lasting erection. If yours lasts more than two to four hours, go to your doctor or the emergency room right away. This very painful condition can lead to permanent damage if not treated immediately. ED doesn’t have to sideline you.
Overactive bladder (needing to urinate often, urinating often at night, leaking urine) Male incontinence (leaking urine) Urinary tract infections (UTIs) Retrograde ejaculation (semen is released into the bladder)
These problems could mean you need to change how you’re managing your diabetes. Work with your health care team to keep your blood sugar levels close to your target to avoid or lessen nerve and blood vessel damage. The less damage, the better your body will be able to function in every part of life. help you stay in the game – being active on most days, eating healthy food, checking your blood sugar, managing your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and going to doctor appointments. Be sure to take advantage of services. Working with a diabetes educator can help you stay on track no matter what life throws at you. Ready to step up your game? Find a doctor you can be open with. And earlier is better for best results. The ball is in your court! : Men & Diabetes
Can diabetes stop you from ejaculating?
Why Can’t I Ejaculate? – Nangia says that he sees young men, mostly with type 1 diabetes, with ejaculatory dysfunction. High blood glucose over time damages nerves so semen discharges back inside the bladder rather than out the penis. You may still experience orgasm, but a lack of ejaculation can cause infertility.
Do men with diabetes have a hard time getting hard?
Erectile dysfunction – The most common type of sexual problem in men is erectile dysfunction (sometimes known as impotence). This is when you can’t get or keep an erection – early signs could be if you start to lose your morning erection. Men with diabetes are 3x more likely to have trouble getting or keeping an erection.
- There can be several reasons for this, such as limited blood flow, nerve damage (neuropathy) and damaged blood vessels.
- It can also be down to medication or just how you’re feeling at the time.
- You can get treatment for this with pills like Viagra and Cialis, but talk to your healthcare team before taking these, as they can cause heart problems.
You could also think about therapy or counselling to help you manage erectile dysfunction. It can be a useful tool, whatever the cause of the problem. And we’ve got support to help you too – you’re not alone. Diabetes is far from the only cause of erectile dysfunction, so it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
How long do men with diabetes live?
Life expectancy can be increased by 3 years or in some cases as much as 10 years. At age 50, life expectancy- the number of years a person is expected to live- is 6 years shorter for people with type 2 diabetes than for people without it. People with type 2 diabetes can reduce their risk of complications and live longer by achieving their treatment goals.
How do diabetics get hard?
Diabetes can cause problems with blood flow to your penis. There are devices that can help to increase blood flow, especially if medications don’t work for you. These include vacuum-assisted erection devices that pull blood into your penis, and make it firm and erect. These devices work for about 2 out of every 3 men.
Does Viagra work for diabetics?
Erectile dysfunction is a common occurrence in men with diabetes, The incidence of erectile dysfunction increases progressively with age, from 5% in men age 20 to 75% in men over age 65. The cause of erectile dysfunction in men with diabetes is usually related to a decrease in the blood supply to the penis as well as to injury to the nerves that are responsible for the erection mechanism.
A decrease in testosterone production has also been identified as the cause in some men with diabetes. Since 1998, when sildenafil (brand name Viagra) first came on the market, oral therapy has been successfully used to treat erectile dysfunction in many men with diabetes. (Sildenafil was followed in 2003 by the drugs tadalafil, vardenafil and avanafil, which work in much the same way.) Some 50% of men with Type 1 diabetes who try the drugs report improved erections, and some 60% men with Type 2 diabetes do, too.
However, that leaves a large percentage of men with diabetes and erectile dysfunction who do not respond to therapy with one of these pills. This article takes a look at what can be done to treat those men who do not respond to oral therapy. There are a number of reasons a man may not achieve the desired result from an oral erectile dysfunction drug.
In some cases, a man may experience drug side effects severe enough to outweigh any potential benefit of taking the drug. Possible side effects of these drugs include headache, facial flushing, nasal congestion, and transient abnormal vision. (In October 2007, the FDA added a warning about sudden hearing loss to the package labels of oral erectile dysfunction drugs.
While it’s not absolutely clear that the drugs can cause sudden hearing loss, a number of cases have been reported in men within hours or days of taking one of the drugs.)
Can you take Viagra if you have diabetes?
Can diabetics take Viagra? – You can take Viagra or other erectile dysfunction medicines when you are diabetic. You might be prescribed Levitra / Vardenafil,
What age do men get diabetes?
Healthy eating is your recipe for managing diabetes. More than 37 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10), and approximately 90-95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children, teens, and young adults are also developing it.
What age does a man stop getting a hard on?
About a quarter of men said that erection problems started between age 50 and 59, and 40% said they started between age 60 and 69. Having chronic diseases and other risk factors matter with respect to ED, too.
What organ is diabetes hard on?
Diabetic nephropathy causes – Diabetic nephropathy is a common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Over time, poorly controlled diabetes can cause damage to blood vessel clusters in your kidneys that filter waste from your blood. This can lead to kidney damage and cause high blood pressure.
What can I drink to get hard?
Feel free to drink more caffeine – Love coffee or tea? Great! A 2005 review showed that caffeine may improve blood flow and relax the muscles that help you get and keep an erection. Try to keep it to black coffee, unsweetened tea, and caffeinated drinks without sweeteners.
How do diabetics get rid of erectile dysfunction?
Diabetes & ED Treatment – Oral medications typically work about 50 percent of the time for men with diabetes. Penile pumps are also good options, if medications don’t work. Other men may choose injection therapy, which is a treatment where you inject the penis with a small needle when you want an erection.
Penile implants are another ED treatment. Implants last 12–15 years on average. All of these treatment options have pros and cons. Men should consider what works best for their lifestyles when chatting with their provider about the best choice for them. “Erectile dysfunction is frustrating and stressful for men and their partners.
It’s not something people should ‘just live with,'” Dr. Hotaling said. “If you’re struggling with ED, talk to your health care provider. Sometimes it’s an unrelated problem. Other times, it’s linked to something more serious, like diabetes or heart disease.
Can a man with diabetes get a woman pregnant?
Do you think Diabetes can be the reason for infertility in males? – Diabetes can be perishable for the reproductive tendency of men. Although it may not make you totally infertile but in few manners effects on your fertility to make you less fertile. Men with Diabetes can commonly experience some sexual problems, like erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation.
- These issues can contribute to a loss of interest in sex and obstacles to give birth to the child.
- Besides, they have a poor quality of sperm as compared to normal men.
- According to the study, comparing the sperm quality of Diabetic men and non-Diabetic men for infertility, non-Diabetic men have 25% better semen levels than Diabetic infertile people.
Also, Diabetic men are having more DNA damage within their sperm. By all, it shows that having Diabetes can make it difficult for a man to conceive a child, also they possess a higher risk of deformities and miscarriage to new borne.
Can diabetic erectile dysfunction be reversed?
While there is no specific treatment to reverse damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes, there are several options to help you have erections. There are a variety of oral medications that improve your ability to get erections.
What causes diabetes in a man?
Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity – You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are not physically active and are overweight or have obesity, Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes.