Did you know? The amount of stress a man faces in his life can have a direct impact on his ability to achieve an erection.
April is Stress Awareness Month, and we want to raise awareness about how stress can affect both our physical and mental health.
Created by the Stress Management Society, this year’s Stress Awareness Month is focusing on Taking Action. The society hopes to encourage people to take action to change their personal and professional life to reduce stress.
Erectile dysfunction (ED), sometimes referred to as impotence, is when a man fails to get or keep an erection consistently. It’s more common in men over 40 but it can affect men of any age and can be caused by underlying health issues such as diabetes or mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. In their lifetimes, erectile dysfunction will affect 50% of men in the UK.
One of the reasons why a man can develop erectile dysfunction is stress. When we undergo a stressful period in our lives, the effects can take as much of a toll on our physical health as it does on our mental health. In order to achieve an erection, a man must be sexually aroused, and, when under intense pressure, a man may find that he loses his sex drive.
When the stress occurs for temporary reasons, such as revising for an exam or moving home, it may be that the impotence ceases once the brief stressful period has passed. For longer periods of stress, however, a man living with ED may have to take action against stress. Ways of reducing stress could come in the form of regular exercise, practicing mindfulness activities such as meditation or yoga, or simply taking more time to enjoy our hobbies and interests.
For men experiencing ED due to ongoing stress, they may turn to ED medication such as Viagra or Cialis. However, it’s estimated that 30-40% of men have little to no response to current treatments like these.
Here at MAC Clinical Research, we understand that new improved treatments are needed for erectile dysfunction. Therefore, we are looking for volunteers to take part in a ground-breaking clinical trial developing a potential new treatment for ED, which works on the brain and blood flow into the erectile tissue of the penis.
The investigational medication enhances the effects of substances in the body such as dopamine to help stimulate an erection (helps sexual desire) and relaxes the smooth muscle in the penis to help produce and sustain an erection.
MAC are dedicated to improving the lives of men with ED for whom lifestyle changes or other over-the-counter medicine hasn’t worked and hopes that this new study medication will help. If you’re interested in finding out more about this ED research and the £1,496 reimbursement eligible volunteers will receive, visit MAC’s ED Research webpage.
