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Diabetes and erectile dysfunction

Let’s start this off with a simple definition. Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the human body cannot use the natural sugar in the blood as energy. The cause is the failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. It comes in two different forms. In Type 1, the body fails to make any insulin. In Type 2, the body makes some insulin but fails to use it properly. It’s estimated that about 57 million people in the US are in the slide into diabetes, i.e. their blood sugar levels are already too high because their bodies are resisting the effect of insulin. This can only be described as an epidemic in the making. Why should we care? After all, both forms of diabetes are treatable. Well, the answer comes in two steps. Many people do not realize their danger in time. As a result, the diabetes begins to damage the body. Untreated, it can cause heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. In extreme cases, the feet and legs can develop gangrene and they have to be amputated. The second problem lies in the nature of Type 2 diabetes. This is largely a lifestyle issue. People eat and drink excessively, their weight rises and their body’s metabolism is thrown out of balance. Effective treatment requires change. An extreme measure is gastric bypass surgery to bring down the weight fast. Without this, it depends on people sticking with a diet and exercising regularly.

Erectile dysfunction is one of the first symptoms of Type 2 diabetes in men. The arteries leading into the penis are among the smallest in the body. To achieve an erection, the smooth muscle walls must be able to dilate. Unfortunately, as the blood sugar level rises, the walls of all blood vessels begin to harden. This slows down the dilation and the ability to achieve an erection gradually disappears. This disappearance is what drives men into seeking help. In turn, this prompts the diagnosis of the underlying problem.

Then, it’s all up to the man to change. Everything that can be done to prevent the spread of the disease must be done. This means following the treatment program laid down by your doctor and removing all the factors contributing to the erectile dysfunction. So you have to remove all the major causes of stress from your life. Try to be more laid back for all the right reasons. Quit smoking and stop excessive drinking. Some alcohol is OK but not a lot. And then lose some weight. Change your diet and, most importantly, start exercising. Raising your fitness and stamina levels improves the circulation of your blood and gives better erections. This is a high priority. As your blood sugar levels come under control, the damage to your body will slow. You can use viagra as needed to maintain the hardness of your erection but, as your weight drops, you should find erections improve naturally. Congratulations! You brought diabetes under control before all the major health disasters hit you and restored your erections. If you do not take effective action, buy viagra. This will keep you going for a year or so but note the warnings given above. The point of the diagnosis is giving you the chance to prevent a disease from making you seriously ill in a few years time. The longer you delay effective action, the greater the risk of heart disease, blindness and amputations.

Nighttime Heartburn – Why Nighttime Heartburn Is More Harmful And How To Prevent It



Heartburn is a common complaint suffered by an estimated 60 million Americans. While it can occur at anytime, nighttime heartburn is particularly problematic and potentially more harmful. So, why is this and what can be done to prevent it?

Firstly, lets briefly consider what causes heartburn. When the acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus (gullet), they irritate the sensitive lining causing the characteristic burning sensation which we term heartburn. Regular or prolonged attack of the esophagus lining, which is known as chronic acid reflux, can be harmful, potentially dangerous and even life threatening in extreme cases.

The condition causes distress at any time but why should it be more of a problem at night?

The most obvious reason why this so is because, at night you are lying down and consequently gravity is working against you. During the day, when acid reflux occurs, gravity can act quickly to pull the stomach contents back into the stomach. When asleep however, it is much easier for the stomach acids to flow back into the esophagus, particularly if the muscular valve that is meant to prevent this backflow has become weakened.

Secondly, because you are lying horizontally, the stomach acid can remain in the esophagus much longer, increasing the contact with the esophagus lining, causing greater aggravation and damage.

A third reason is, that when you are awake and acid reflux occurs, you automatically swallow so the acid is pushed back down into the stomach. When you are asleep the impulse to swallow is suppressed. Furthermore, the saliva which is carried downwards when you swallow has a neutralising effect on the acid, helping to counteract its effect. This does not occur at night.

You also need to consider that nighttime heartburn can seriously disrupt your sleep and this can have important implications for your overall health.

So, having established why nighttime heartburn can be such a problem what can you do to reduce the problem?

Fortunately there are a number of effective measures you can take to combat the problem and as they are related to diet and lifestyle, they do not require taking any drug based medication.

Avoid those foods and drinks that are well known to trigger acid reflux Change you eating habits so you do not make your last meal of the day a particularly large one Do not eat within three hours of going to bed Do not relax by lying down after eating your meal. Raise the head of your bed 4 – 6 inches (using blocks under the bed head) to help gravity do its work

While these measure are certainly effective, if you do suffer an attack, have a supply of antacids available which will give you quick relief so that your sleep is not overly disturbed.

These are some examples of ways that you can control your problem without having to resort to drug based medication. If you have found these to be of interest, then there is the whole field of alternative remedies and treatments for heartburn that you should investigate further.