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- Nobody may refuse the importance of sex in our lives. Sex is a course of
exchanging love, concern, care and support. But besides loving affairs, sex can
also improve our health physically.
- Pain-relief: Immediately before orgasm, levels of the hormone oxytocin surge
to five times their normal level. This in turn releases endorphins, which alleviate
the pain of everything from headache to arthritis to even migraine. In women,
sex also prompts production of estrogen, which can reduce the pain of PMS.
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- Reduced depression: Such was the implication of a 2002 study of 293 women. American
psychologist Gordon Gallup reported that sexually active participants whose male partners did not
use condoms were less subject to depression than those whose partners did. One theory of
causality: Prostoglandin, a hormone found only in semen, may be absorbed in the female genital
tract, thus modulating female hormones.
- Better bladder control: Heard of Kegel exercises? You do them, whether you know it or not,
every time you stem your flow of urine. The same set of muscles is worked during sex.
- Better teeth: Seminal plasma contains zinc, calcium and other minerals shown to retard tooth
decay. Since this is a family Web site, we will omit discussion of the mineral delivery system.
Suffice it to say that it could be a far richer, more complex and more satisfying experience than
squeezing a tube of Crest--even Tartar Control Crest. Researchers have noted, parenthetically, that
sexual etiquette usually demands the brushing of one's teeth before and/or after intimacy, which, by
itself, would help promote better oral hygiene.
- A happier prostate: Some urologists believe they see a relationship between infrequency of
ejaculation and cancer of the prostate. The causal argument goes like this: To produce seminal
fluid, the prostate and the seminal vesicles take such substances from the blood as zinc, citric acid
and potassium, then concentrate them up to 600 times. Any carcinogens present in the blood
likewise would be concentrated. Rather than have concentrated carcinogens hanging around
causing trouble, it's better to evict them. Regular old sex could do the job. But if the flushing of the
prostate were your only objective, masturbation might be a better way to go, especially for the non-
monogamous male. Having sex with multiple partners can, all by itself, raise a man's risk of cancer
by up to 40%. That's because he runs an increased risk of contracting sexual infections. So, if you
want the all the purported benefits of flushing with none of the attendant risk, go digital. A study
recently published by the British Journal of Urology International asserts that men in their 20s can
reduce by a third their chance of getting prostate cancer by ejaculating more than five times a week.
- Reduced risk of heart disease: In a 2001 follow-on to the Queens University study mentioned
above, researchers focused on cardiovascular health. Their finding? That by having sex three or
more times a week, men reduced their risk of heart attack or stroke by half. In reporting these
results, the co-author of the study, Shah Ebrahim, Ph.D., displayed the well-loved British gift for
understatement: "The relationship found between frequency of sexual intercourse and mortality is
of considerable public interest."
- Improved sense of smell: After sex, production of the hormone prolactin surges. This in turn
causes stem cells in the brain to develop new neurons in the brain's olfactory bulb, its smell center.
- Weight loss, overall fitness: Sex, if nothing else, is exercise. A vigorous bout burns some 200
calories--about the same as running 15 minutes on a treadmill or playing a spirited game of squash.
The pulse rate, in a person aroused, rises from about 70 beats per minute to 150, the same as that
of an athlete putting forth maximum effort. British researchers have determined that the equivalent
of six Big Macs can be worked off by having sex three times a week for a year. Muscular
contractions during intercourse work the pelvis, thighs, buttocks, arms, neck and thorax. Sex also
boosts production of testosterone, which leads to stronger bones and muscles. Men's Health
magazine has gone so far as to call the bed the single greatest piece of exercise equipment ever
invented.
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- Impotence can be defined as the sexual inability where men can't attain
erection properly. It is also known as erectile dysfunction(ED) that affects
10-15% of all males.
- In medical term impotency deals with improper blood flow to the penile
tissues, that causes less erection or we can say no erection at all during the
sexual intercourse.
- The percentage of people affected by impotency is too high. The result is
that they are satisfied with their sexual life and even go to the extent of
breaking up their marriage.
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- In older men, ED usually has a physical cause, such as disease, injury, or side effects of drugs. Any
disorder that causes injury to the nerves or impairs blood flow in the penis has the potential to cause
ED. Incidence increases with age: About 5 percent of 40-year-old men and between 15 and 25 percent
of 65-year-old men experience ED. But it is not an inevitable part of aging.
- ED is treatable at any age, and awareness of this fact has been growing. More men have been seeking
help and returning to normal sexual activity because of improved, successful treatments for ED.
Urologists, who specialize in problems of the urinary tract, have traditionally treated ED; however,
urologists accounted for only 25 percent of Viagra mentions in 1999.
How does an erection occur?
- The penis contains two chambers called the corpora cavernosa, which run the length of the organ. A
spongy tissue fills the chambers. The corpora cavernosa are surrounded by a membrane, called the
tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and
arteries. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and ejaculate, runs along the underside of the
corpora cavernosa and is surrounded by the corpus spongiosum.
- Erection begins with sensory or mental stimulation, or both. Impulses from the brain and local nerves
cause the muscles of the corpora cavernosa to relax, allowing blood to flow in and fill the spaces. The
blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. The tunica albuginea helps
trap the blood in the corpora cavernosa, thereby sustaining erection. When muscles in the penis
contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels, erection is reversed.
- Specific steps take place to produce and sustain an erection:
- Arousal. The first step is sexual arousal, which men obtain from the senses of sight, touch, hearing
and smell, and from thoughts.
- Nervous system response. The brain communicates the sexual excitation to the body's nervous
system, which activates increased blood flow to the penis.
- Blood vessel response. A relaxing action occurs in the blood vessels that supply the penis, allowing
more blood to flow into the shafts that produce the erection.
What causes erectile dysfunction (ED)?
- Since an erection requires a precise sequence of events, ED can occur when any of the events is
disrupted. The sequence includes nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and area around the penis,
and response in muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries in and near the corpora cavernosa.
- Damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, and fibrous tissues, often as a result of disease, is the
most common cause of ED. Diseases梥uch as diabetes, kidney disease, chronic alcoholism, multiple
sclerosis, atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and neurologic disease梐ccount for about 70 percent of ED
cases. Between 35 and 50 percent of men with diabetes experience ED.
- Lifestyle choices that contribute to heart disease and vascular problems also raise the risk of erectile
dysfunction. Smoking, being overweight, and avoiding exercise are possible causes of ED.
- Also, surgery (especially radical prostate and bladder surgery for cancer) can injure nerves and arteries
near the penis, causing ED. Injury to the penis, spinal cord, prostate, bladder, and pelvis can lead to ED
by harming nerves, smooth muscles, arteries, and fibrous tissues of the corpora cavernosa.
- In addition, many common medicines梑lood pressure drugs, antihistamines, antidepressants,
tranquilizers, appetite suppressants, and cimetidine (an ulcer drug)梒an produce ED as a side effect.
- Experts believe that psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, guilt, depression, low self-esteem,
and fear of sexual failure cause 10 to 20 percent of ED cases. Men with a physical cause for ED
frequently experience the same sort of psychological reactions (stress, anxiety, guilt, depression). Other
possible causes are smoking, which affects blood flow in veins and arteries, and hormonal
abnormalities, such as not enough testosterone.
How is ED treated?
- Most physicians suggest that treatments proceed from least to most invasive. For some men, making a
few healthy lifestyle changes may solve the problem. Quitting smoking, losing excess weight, and
increasing physical activity may help some men regain sexual function.
- Psychotherapy: Experts often treat psychologically based ED using techniques that decrease the
anxiety associated with intercourse. The patient's partner can help with the techniques, which include
gradual development of intimacy and stimulation. Such techniques also can help relieve anxiety when
ED from physical causes is being treated.
- Drug Therapy: Drugs for treating ED can be taken orally, injected directly into the penis, or inserted
into the urethra at the tip of the penis. In March 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved Viagra, the first pill to treat ED. Since that time, vardenafil hydrochloride (Levitra) and
tadalafil (Cialis) have also been approved. Additional oral medicines are being tested for safety and
effectiveness.
Do we accept health insurance?
We bill Out-network of acupuncture treatments from insurance companies listed below. It is always
best to check with your health insurance company first in order to see if you have eligibility and
coverage for our services. If you have any difficulties to understand it, just kindly forwards/fax your
information to our office, we will verify if your insurances cover the acupuncture treatment or not.
Currently, neither Medicare or Medicaid cover acupuncture treatments.
Aetna
Cigna
Empire BlueCross
Empire BlueShield
GHI
Great-West
Health Net
HIP
Humana
PHCS
United Healthcare
Univera Healthcare
Oxford(freedom)
Flex spending
IRS tax deduction
Reference:
http://www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/
http://www.pillsreviewcentral.com/
http://www.forbes.com
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