Premature Ejaculation in Men: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment Options
As a matter of fact, the scope of usual sexual incidents in men involves the four aspects of sexual desire, erection, ejaculation, and detumescence or penile flaccidity. It is really sad but true that only about 20 lakhs of men out of some 30 million, open up about their sexual problems and get the required help.
Premature Ejaculation (PJ) is one of the most common sexual problems seen in men across the globe. Premature Ejaculation can cause stress, affect one’s self-esteem and confidence, and also give rise to relationship problems.
What is Premature Ejaculation?
Premature Ejaculation in men is a medical condition, where men are not able to maintain or sustain a penile erection, long enough to have intercourse and get optimum sexual pleasure. This is the condition where a person cannot control his ejaculation; either before or during sex. There are two kinds of premature ejaculation, i,e primary premature ejaculation, where someone has always had the condition, and secondary premature ejaculation, where someone has recently developed the condition. The generally-accepted definition is that if someone cannot delay their ejaculation for longer than 2 minutes, they have premature ejaculation. This is just a commonly-agreed number though.
Symptoms of Premature Ejaculation
- Not being able to delay ejaculation for more than three minutes after penetration
- Not being able to delay ejaculation during sex nearly every time/ all throughout the time
- Not being able to delay ejaculation during masturbation
Causes Premature Ejaculation
The most common symptom of Premature Ejaculation in men is their inability to sustain a strong penile erection for a decent amount of time. This particular medical condition can arise from various psychological and physiological problems.
Physical and Chemical problems that give rise to symptoms of Premature Ejaculation
Premature Ejaculation can arise due to some physical injuries, or even due to some pre-existing medical conditions like the following:
- Irregular hormone levels
- Irregular levels of brain chemicals
- Swelling and infection of the prostate or urethra
- Inherited traits
- An underlying erectile dysfunction
- High cholesterol levels
- High Blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Improper Metabolic rate
- Parkinson’s disease (PD)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Certain prescribed drugs
- Excessive Tobacco consumption
- Peyronie’s disease
- Alcoholism and other types of drug misuse
- Sleep problems
- Prostate cancer and enlarged prostate treatments
- Surgeries or injuries that damage the pelvic region or spinal cord
- Low testosterone levels
- A hormonal problem with oxytocin levels, which has a direct role in sexual functioning
- Imbalanced hormone levels that play a role in sexual function include luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Low serotonin or dopamine levels, chemicals in the brain that are involved in sexual desire and excitement
- In case the penis is extra sensitive to stimulation
Psychological problems that give rise to symptoms of Premature Ejaculation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Other mental health issues
- Low confidence in body/ appearance
- Relationship problems caused due to stress
- Communication issues with partners, or even other issues
Treatments for Premature Ejaculation
Although many men refrain from opening up about their sexual problems, there are multiple treatment options available out there to eradicate its symptoms completely and forever.
Medications
There are quite a number of pharmaceutical drugs available for PE, that work by delaying the chemical reactions causing ejaculation by increasing serotonin and may double or triple your current time to ejaculate.
- Antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly prescribed for this matter. Priligy or Dapoxetine is one of the most commonly recommended prescription drugs for premature ejaculation.
- Anaesthetic or numbing creams and sprays that are applied to the head and shaft of the penis, form another medication option to delay ejaculation. The anesthetic cream or spray is applied to the penis and absorbed for 10 to 30 minutes or until you feel less sensitivity in your penis. It’s important to wash your penis before sex to prevent numbness to your partner’s vagina or loss of your erection.
- Erectile dysfunction medications can also be used in this regard.
Behavioural therapy
Behavioural therapy involves different methods to delay the orgasm. Its ultimate purpose is to enable you to gain control over the body and feelings. Some popular methods of this therapy include:
- Start and stop: In this technique, one or one’s partner stimulates the penis; to the point of orgasm, and then stops the stimulation for about 30 seconds until full control of arousal is achieved. This can be repeated about three to four times before allowing the orgasm.
- Squeeze therapy: In this technique, one or one’s partner stimulates the penis close to the point of reaching orgasm, and then gently squeeze/s the head of the penis for about 30 seconds so that there is a little loosening of the erection. This can be repeated for about three to four times before allowing the orgasm.
- Distracted thinking: With this technique, the idea is to focus on ordinary nonsexual things while one is being sexually stimulated. Naming sequences are a good way to bring in the required attention or focus.
Whether it is via medication, therapy, or surgery, there are several options available these days, to completely cure this medical issue. However, one should always go for a thorough diagnosis by an authorized medical practitioner before deciding upon any of these options.
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