Health

Diabetes And A Healthy Sex-Life, Get The Facts:

Healthy Living With Type 1 Diabetes Diabetes And SexWhile sex seems to be everywhere, television, billboards, magazine covers etc americans are still reluctant to go to the doctor to talk about issues when it relates to sex, especially diabetics.  However, many people, whether they have diabetes or not, have sexual problems. Does it need to be a deal breaker, absolutely not so lets take a look at that giant elephant in the room.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported in February of 1999 about a survey conducted of 1,749 women and 1,410 men aged 18 to 59.  The survey found sexual dysfunction is more prevalent for women (43%) than men (31%).  Diabetes may affect sexual functioning in several ways, but there are some things you may need to look out for when it comes to sex and if you suffer from diabetes:

Can You Have Sex When You Have Diabetes?

Believe it or not, this is a question that I field a lot and I hope that your answer is an astonishing, yes! If you feel diabetes is causing problems with your sex life, talk to your doctor.  While no-one relishes talking about sexual problems with a doctor, these issues can only be addressed if you seek help.

Your doctor will try to find out whether sexual problems are caused by defects in the nervous or circulatory system as a result of the diabetes, or whether they are of a more psychological nature.  Often this distinction is difficult to make.

In any case, when sexual dysfunction begins to happen on a regular basis it tends to get worse unless it is properly treated, so the psychological element inevitably builds up.

An increasing number of men who have diabetes and erectile dysfunction (ED) are being helped by medicines such as sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra). Or if your not into taking medication prescribed by your doctor (which I highly recommend), check out the powers of essential oils? Oils such as ylang ylang which is an aphrodisiac or sandlewood, cumin or clary sage oils are sure to knock your socks off when the mood strikes. Also, lets face it, these are much healthier and safer options.

If tests confirm that your nervous system hasn’t been damaged by diabetes, and there are no associated circulatory problems, there’s no reason why your sex life shouldn’t recover.

Hypoglycemia?

If you haven’t experienced this already,  hypoglycemia can occur during sex.  You may also suffer from a night time hypo as the physical exertions of sex mean that in some
ways it makes sense to treat intercourse in a similar way to exercise.

However, testing before and after ‘getting it on’ may not help in setting the right mood. How you handle blood sugars around sex will come down to personal preference.  If you have an understanding partner it certainly helps, but how you handle things yourself is also key.

If you’re in a new relationship, it may be tempting not to tell your partner about your diabetes and you may find yourself taking great pains to hide your diabetes.  However, your diabetes will emerge sooner or later so it’s best to be open where possible.  If your partner is reassuring, you may have found yourself a great life partner.

Vaginal Dryness And Diabetes?

Nerves that tell the body to release lubricant into the vaginal area can become damaged ifHealthy Living With Type 1 Diabetes Diabetes And Sexyou have diabetes.  In addition, vaginal dryness occurs after menopause in many women.  When it comes to having sex with your partner, there are many brands of water-based lubricants on the market to replace the lubrication you lack.  If you plan to become pregnant, however; review your lubricant choice with your pharmacist or obstetrician. Certain brands may damage sperm and actually reduce your ability to conceive.  In certain post-menopausal women, estrogen supplementation can help reduce vaginal dryness, but discuss the risks and benefits of estrogen use with your doctor.

Insulin Pump and Sex?

This is a personal decision and honestly its one of the reasons why I love my omni pod
insulin pump
, with not tubes “getting in the way”. Some people find that removing the pump before sex frees them to respond more enthusiastically during intimate activity – a pump can be safely removed for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Others leave the pump on and just move it out of the way.  If you remove your pump, check your blood glucose level when you reconnect the pump and take a correction dose as needed.  If a pump is accidentally pulled out during sexual activity, it isn’t harmful, even if some blood appears at the infusion site. Couples should do what feels right for them.

As I mentioned earlier, if you use insulin, you need to be aware that sometimes sex can cause low blood sugar levels.  It is vitally important to test your blood sugar before having sex or consider eating just before or right afterwards as you would for exercise.  Also you may want to have a snack before going to sleep at night.

If this article on diabetes and  a healthy sex life was helpful, please leave a comment right below my bio or hit the share button to share with your friends :-)

Thanks for Reading!

Chris

Chris - The Organic Diabetic

As a type 1 diabetic, I made the switch to an organic lifestyle several years ago after being diagnosed with Diabetes in 2006. Living with diabetes is hard enough, why make it more difficult by consuming products with chemicals, toxins and other harmful, unhealthy ingredients. To me, the choice was easy and just made sense. We hope you enjoy our blog! Feel free to look around and check out all of our products by clicking through the tabs above! Thanks for stopping by and also please be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter by liking our pages below! You never know what freebies we will be giving away!! Don't forget to check out the website as well at www.theorganicdiabetic.org

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