Erectile dysfunction also referred to as impotence, has become a common issue that has affected approximately 30 million men all over the US regardless of their age.
So you may not be alone. This condition could be caused due to a plethora of physical or psychological factors.
Sometimes this function might even be a symptom of other medical and emotional conditions.
Difficulty in having an erection doesn’t necessarily mean that you may be disinterested in sex. Rather, the most common reason here is because of the lack of blood flow in your penis.
Before you get an erection, the chambers in your penis fill up with blood and become rigid. Getting this erection is a natural process for your body.
All your hormones, blood vessels, heart, and brain work in collaboration to help you achieve an erection. However, in some people, this may not be a natural process.
The medications do this by releasing a chemical referred to as nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide helps to enhance the blood flow to your penis and so could help you to achieve an erection.
Though consuming medications for Erectile dysfunction is quite a popular treatment nowadays, they could pose certain side effects like upset stomachs, rashes, headaches, or dizziness.
But besides consuming ED medications, other helpful ways could help to treat ED. In short, you should understand that your erections could be the best only when you opt for a healthy lifestyle.
In this article, we would explain all the different natural ways that could help you to achieve this vascular process in your body naturally.
Getting Erections Without Medication
-
Acoustic Wave Therapy
One of the most popular techniques used to treat erectile dysfunction naturally is acoustic wave therapy.
Also referred to as Shockwave therapy, this technique is becoming quite a fad among people suffering[1] from erectile dysfunction due to its efficacy.
And guess what- you could practice it without the use of any injections or medications. Let’s understand it in detail.
Under acoustic wave therapy, sound waves are used to facilitate tissue generation[2] and bring about certain modifications in your body.
When low-intensity and non-invasive accounting waves are used, they help in the formation of new blood vessels referred to as new vascularization.
The formation of the new blood vessels might bolster the blood flow in your penis and hence could facilitate more robust as well as longer elections.
Hence, the simple use of gentle and all-natural sound waves could help to treat your erectile dysfunction by targeting its root cause.
Moreover, acoustic wave therapy is not just used to treat erectile dysfunction, but it could also help to treat other conditions like chronic pain and neuropathy.
-
Kegel Exercise
Engaging in Kegel exercises regularly could help to improve your Erectile dysfunction because it could strengthen your pelvic floor and enhance your sexual performance.
And if you didn’t already know, Kegel exercises are not just for the ladies.
So if you want to try out certain Kegel exercises, all you have to do is to look out on the Internet for a kegel exercise regime[3].
You could even connect with your health care provider who may tell you certain simple kegel exercises.
Generally, Kegel exercises are quite easy to perform and the basic regime includes tightening the muscles at the bottom of your pelvic area.
So you could tighten the muscles at the bottom of your pelvic area and release them up to 10 to 15 times.
-
Traditional Exercises
Other than the Kegel exercises, engaging in traditional exercise could even be another natural way to enhance your erections.
The major reason behind this is that when you exercise you could improve the blood flow in your body.
At the same time, exercising could also amplify the nitric oxide levels in your blood vessels by enhancing[4] your blood pressure, and hence serve as a natural ED medication.
Also, you may not forget the benefits of weight-bearing exercises that could bolster the amount of testosterone in the body.
Testosterone is a sex hormone in males that may enhance their erectile dysfunction and improve their sex drive.
-
Focus On Healthy Diet
Different researches show that if you follow a healthy diet, then it could support your penile health.
One such Diet is the Mediterranean diet, which consists of different[5] food items like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, a moderate amount of alcohol, a low intake of candy, dairy, and meat, moderate intake of fish, legumes, peas, beans, and lentils, and olive oil.
However, while you are focusing on improving your penile health, then you may evade the consumption of different food items like foods that are high in saturated fat or sodium and excessive amounts of alcohol.
Now let’s understand the reason behind eating a healthy diet and improving your erectile function.
When you focus on eating a Mediterranean diet, it could help to reduce the risk factors for different diseases which could in turn bolster your chance of erectile dysfunction.
These diseases may include high blood pressure, obesity, or cardiovascular issues.
-
Maintain A Healthy Weight
You must maintain a healthy weight to get stronger Erections. Research even shows that people who are obese may have three times more risk to develop sexual dysfunction.
The major reason behind this is simply because obesity could be linked with a plethora of health conditions[6] like diabetes, which could in turn damage the blood vessels and nerves in your body and hence affect your erections.
So the best way is to make sure that you are not overweight and have a BMI in the 25 to 30 range.
-
Decrease Your Alcohol Consumption
Increased consumption of alcohol, in the long run, enhances your risks for different diseases like liver diseases or ED risk.
On the other hand, increasing alcohol consumption in the shorter run could decrease your overall arousal and even affect your central nervous system.
Once it affects your central nervous system, it could enhance the levels of depression and stress in your body. No doubt why increased alcohol intake could affect your erections.
However, this does not mean that you have to stop the consumption of liquor all at once. Instead, you may restrict[7] yourself to consuming just 1 to 2 drinks per day.
Another attribute you need to know here is that though your healthcare provider may also suggest you consume liquor in moderation, research is still dicey on the fact that limiting alcohol consumption could help to reduce the risk of ED.
-
Quit Smoking
Besides limiting your alcohol intake, you may altogether try to quit smoking because this may affect your cardiovascular health and even lead to vascular disease.
The vascular disease might in turn affect the blood flow to some crucial organs of your body, like the genitals.
Hence, to receive the blood flow in the optimum[8] amount in all your organs, you need to evade the use of tobacco.
-
Healthy Sleep Patterns
Focusing on a healthy sleeping pattern is also linked with improving your erectile dysfunction because it could ensure that the signals in your mind are quite clear.
If you have a disturbed sleeping schedule, then it could significantly[9] lower the testosterone levels in your body and hence affect your sexual dysfunction.
This is because the secretion of hormones in the body is affected by the body’s internal clock and healthy sleeping patterns could help in the release of certain hormones at the right time.
-
Reduce Your Stress Level
Chronic stress may severely affect the male reproductive system and hence lead to a change in testosterone production.
At the same time, it might even facilitate impotence or erectile dysfunction. Due to this, it becomes crucial for you to maintain and reduce your stress.
Besides this, when you have amplified levels of stress in your body, it facilitates the release of a hormone known as cortisol, which could in turn affect your circulatory and blood pressure systems.
There are different ways through which you may manage your stress levels, like having a social support network, talking to your partner about your erectile dysfunction, getting good quality sleep, and engaging[10] in regular physical activities.
Other than this, you could also try out certain relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga.
-
Ginseng
Also referred to as herbal Viagra, Ginseng is a herbal supplement that has been used in Chinese medicine since time immemorial.
With potent antioxidant properties, this ingredient could help to improve[11] erectile dysfunction.
The major reason behind this is that it has compounds that work together to protect your blood vessels against oxidative stress and hence help to restore their normal function.
At the same time, ginseng might also facilitate the production of nitric oxide in your body, which could stimulate muscle relaxation and increase blood circulation to your penis.
Conclusion
Well, these are just some of the tips that could help you to keep an erection without medication.
While practicing these steps, you need to make sure that you have a good conversation related to erectile dysfunction with your partner.
A candid conversation could help to relieve your anxiety levels and fabricate a supportive environment where your partner could help you to try out different treatment options.
Hopefully, honesty, teamwork, and some natural medications could prove to work wonders for your erection.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Ilan Gruenwald, Boaz Appel, Noam D. Kitrey, et. al. Shockwave treatment of erectile dysfunction. Ther Adv Urol. 2013 Apr; 5(2): 95–99. doi: 10.1177/1756287212470696
- Ege Can Serefoglu, Paolo Verze, Maarten Albersen, et. al. Low-intensity shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction: is the evidence strong enough?. Nat Rev Urol. 2017 Oct;14(10):593-606. doi: 10.1038/nrurol.2017.119. Epub 2017 Jul 25. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28741629/
- Roger Feneley, Mark Speakman, Grace Dorey, et. al. Randomised controlled trial of pelvic floor muscle exercises and manometric biofeedback for erectile dysfunction. Br J Gen Pract. 2004 Nov 1; 54(508): 819–825.
- Helle Gerbild, Camilla Marie Larsen, Christian Graugaard, et. al. Physical Activity to Improve Erectile Function: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies. Sex Med. 2018 Jun; 6(2): 75–89. Published online 2018 Apr 13. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2018.02.001
- Scott R. Bauer, Benjamin N. Breyer, Meir J. Stampfer, et. al. Association of Diet With Erectile Dysfunction Among Men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Nov; 3(11): e2021701. Published online 2020 Nov 13. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.21701
- Rena R. Wing, Raymond C. Rosen, Joseph L. Fava, et. al. Effects of Weight Loss Intervention on Erectile Function in Older Men with Type 2 Diabetes in the Look AHEAD Trial. J Sex Med. 2010 Jan; 7(1 0 1): 156–165. Published online 2009 Aug 17. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01458.x
- William H. George, Kelly Cue Davis, Jeanette Norris, et. al. Alcohol and Erectile Response: The Effects of High Dosage in the Context of Demands to Maximize Sexual Arousal. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2006 Nov; 14(4): 461–470. doi: 10.1037/1064-1297.14.4.461
- J.R. Kovac, C. Labbate, R. Ramasamy, et. al. Effects of cigarette smoking on erectile dysfunction. Andrologia. 2015 Dec; 47(10): 1087–1092. Published online 2014 Dec 29. doi: 10.1111/and.12393
- Rui Costa, David Costa, and José Pestana. Subjective sleep quality, unstimulated sexual arousal, and sexual frequency. Sleep Sci. 2017 Oct-Dec; 10(4): 147–153. doi: 10.5935/1984-0063.20170026
- Y Kobori, E Koh, K Sugimoto, et. al. The relationship of serum and salivary cortisol levels to male sexual dysfunction as measured by the International Index of Erectile Function. Int J Impot Res. 2009 Jul; 21(4): 207–212. Published online 2009 May 7. doi: 10.1038/ijir.2009.14
- Kar Wah Leung and Alice ST Wong. Ginseng and male reproductive function. Spermatogenesis. 2013 Jul 1; 3(3): e26391. Published online 2013 Sep 13. doi: 10.4161/spmg.26391
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Michael has been in the male wellness industry for 25+ years. Before joining Working For Health as a full-time male wellness journalist, he contributed to multiple online portals in the male wellness field. Before that, he has been an assistant to several sexologists.