Young and older men can experience bouts of low libido, though they are more prevalent in older men. Many things can cause a man’s sexual desire to drop and they can be divided into two main groups: physical and psychological causes.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most common physical and psychological causes of low libido in men and the potential treatment.
PHYSICAL CAUSES
Starting with the physical causes of low libido in men, these are mostly chronic physical conditions.
1. DIABETES
Diabetes is known to cause low libido, as are medications for it. That’s because the illness changes certain essential hormone levels in your body. Also, you are more likely to have low testosterone if you have diabetes.
Diabetics can also develop diabetic neuropathy, a condition that affects the nerves throughout the body. And if it affects those in the genital area, this can cause lower libido for the resultant pain and numbness.
2. CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND CONDITIONS
Other chronic illnesses can take a toll on your libido as well. If you have arthritis, cancer, high blood pressure, for example, you might have a waning sex drive.
Chronic fatigue, regardless if it’s in combination with an illness or on its own, can also lower a man’s libido. Shortness of breath and acute pain can also be problematic.
Unfortunately, treatments for chronic illnesses and conditions can sometimes make matters worse. For example, chemotherapy and diuretics are very likely to reduce a man’s libido.
3. OBESITY
Obese men have a higher chance of developing libido problems. The main reason is that obesity often hampers the production of testosterone in the body. It can also cause erectile dysfunction.
In addition, hormonal imbalances and inflammations often accompany obesity and can worsen the problem.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES
Psychological causes of low libido can be common in otherwise healthy men.
1. DEPRESSION
Depression can cause problems in all areas of life, including the bedroom.
Often, depression brings with it other psychological symptoms that further impede one’s libido. The list includes lethargy, low self-esteem, inadequacy, and other negative feelings.
For the less severe cases, the silver lining here is that bouts of depression come and go. When they go, libido returns.
If depressive episodes affect your libido, you should talk to your partner about it to avoid potential misunderstandings and conflicts.
2. ANXIETY
Anxiety can wreak havoc on one’s libido. It often accompanies stress and other psychological causes like depression.
Even if you have a healthy libido, anxiety can totally screw it up and cause temporary ED. It can also make it exceedingly hard for you to tell your partner what you need or want.
In more severe cases, the brain links the feeling of anxiety to libido. In such cases, sexual arousal can become a trigger for anxiety.
Worst of all, some of the anti anxiety prescription drugs can adversely affect libido.
3. STRESS
Stress is a notorious mood killer. When you’re stressed out, your body puts non-essential functions on the backburner. These often include libido, which is not necessary for survival.
Also, chronic stress might cause other conditions and behaviors that further reduce libido. For example, a chronically stressed person might develop depression or pick up smoking and drinking.
HOW TO TREAT LOW LIBIDO
For both the physical and psychological causes, there are natural ways to get your desire back.
1. EAT THE RIGHT FOODS
You should start in the kitchen. Throw out the junk food and introduce the natural foods linked to libido restoration.
Pumpkin seeds are rich in L-arginine, an amino acid that can improve blood circulation and therefore one’s libido and performance. Broccoli contains indole-3-carbinol known for lowering the levels of estrogenic metabolites in the body. And oysters contain plenty of zinc, an energy booster that can increase sperm count and motility.
2. SUPPLEMENTS
You can also introduce natural food supplements for better results. Horny Goat Max, for example, contains zinc, niacin, L-arginine, yohimbine, a proprietary Maca blend, guarana extract, and Horny Goat Weed extract, among others.
3. EXERCISES
Regular physical exercise is healthy for your body and mind. Also, it’s a great way to boost libido naturally. Just don’t overdo it, or it might have the opposite effect.
Essentially, all types of physical training can help your libido. Even so, HIIT and strength training are best for the effect on testosterone production. Interval training is also suitable for shedding fat and strength training will increase your muscle mass better than any other.
KNOW YOUR BODY AND MIND
Many things can impede a man’s libido regardless of age. You can even have several of those physical and psychological conditions at the same time.
However, it’s no time to despair. You can increase your libido by eating healthy, supplementing, and exercising. If you want to find out more about the causes of low libido in men and how to treat them, check out this article.
