There are many reasons to stay healthy. You might not think of sex as one of those reasons, but you should. Your health affects your sexual health in many ways. Some health conditions can cause a decline in sexual health and pleasure. You do not always have to let your health issues cause sexual health problems. Taking control of your health and your sex life go hand in hand.

The biggest culprits for affecting sex and pleasure are heart and vascular issues. Pleasure is tied to blood flow, especially to the genitals and erogenous zones. Blood flow not only helps with physical arousal like an erection, but also helps circulate hormones needed for sexual function. Poor blood flow can not only affect arousal but cause erectile dysfunction and delay or block orgasm. This can be caused by issues such as heart disease, or diabetes. Both these health issues can cause circulation to be poor. Heart disease and diabetes can damage blood vessels, keeping that essential blood flow for sexual arousal and pleasure. This can cause sexual issues stated above. Taking steps to have a good diet and get exercise can improve not only your circulation but help improve your overall health.

Mental health is also a big part of sexual health. Things like anxiety and depression can affect sex life as well as overall health. The symptoms of mental health issues can affect sexual pleasure and libido. Unfortunately the meds for these issues can sometimes cause sexual dysfunction in men and women.

Hormonal changes, especially as we age, can affect sexual health and libido. Low testosterone can have a profound effect on sexuality. It can cause low libido and erectile dysfunction. High or low thyroid levels can also cause issues with libido and sexual pleasure and cause erectile dysfunction. Addressing these issues with medication and other therapies can help regulate overall health, causing a benefit to sexual health and function.

Chronic illness of any kind can take a toll on us physically and sexually. Living with chronic illness can push sex to the back burner because of the daily grind of dealing with medications, doctors, and symptoms. The reasons to let sex fall to the wayside are numerous, but so are the benefits of sex. Usually, chronic illness does not necessarily preclude us from having sex, sex just gets pushed aside due to illness being the priority. Taking the time to focus on intimacy can help you and your partner connect and stay focused on each other.

Sexual health and desire is complicated and illness of any kind can throw a wrench in the gears of our sexual health. Taking care of health issues can not only help our sexual health, but also free our mind if we worry about health so we can better enjoy time with a partner both in and out of the bedroom. Caring enough about yourself and your partner to make your health a priority can benefit your life, sexually and overall.

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