A study suggests that impotency drugs such as Viagra and Cialis may be linked with an increased risk of optic nerve damage in men with a history of heart attack or high blood pressure.
NAION
The findings are based on examinations of about 80 men. Half the men had optic nerve damage, in the form of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). NAION is the most common cause of optic nerve disease in those over 50 years old.
Ten Times More Likely
Questions about the patients' lifestyles revealed that those who'd had a heart attack were 10 times more likely to have optic nerve damage if they had taken Viagra or Cialis.
The drugs may reduce the blood flow to the anterior optic nerve. Those with cardiovascular diseases are more susceptible to such problems.
Coincidence?
Viagra manufacturer Pfizer argued that a greater number of NAION cases would have been reported if the association was more than coincidental. Eli Lilly, which manufactures Cialis, however, admitted that there had been a small number of cases of NAION among those taking the drug.
If you read my newsletter with any regularity, you're aware about the blinding power of the popular drugs commonly used to treat sexual dysfunction. Optic nerve damage appears to be included in that danger, especially for those who suffer from heart disease or high blood pressure.
Of course, the mere presence of erectile dysfunction problems may be one of the early indicators of a significant cardiovascular condition, so people with heart disease and high blood pressure are exactly the ones most likely to be taking these drugs in the first place.
If you suffer from sexual dysfunction and don't want to risk taking a dangerous drug, here are four natural remedies you might find useful:
One: Sexual arousal occurs not just in the genitals, but also in the whole body, especially the brain. For men, it actually begins when the brain sends impulses down the spinal cord and out to the nerves that serve the penis. These impulses trigger the production of nitric oxide. The neurotransmitter that causes the sexual message, in men and women, is acetlycholine (ACH). With too little ACH, sexual activity goes down. One way to safely and effectively enhance ACH levels in the body is to take choline supplements (1,000-3,000 mg) and vitamin B5 (500-1,500 mg). Two: Studies have proven that active men who engage in regular physical activity lowered their risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction. Exercise helps ward off impotence the same way it can prevent heart attacks, by keeping blood vessels open. So check out my most recent exercise guidelines to get started on a routine today. Three: Optimize your diet based on your body's unique nutritional type. We each have a unique nutritional type and each type demands varying ratios of macronutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates) to function optimally. My Total Health Program provides a deeper understanding of eating the right foods for your specific nutritional type and includes a test and the means to learn and understand your own nutritional type. Four: Because sexual dysfunction can worsen due to stress and anxiety, it is imperative to take control of your emotions by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the proven energy psychology tool I use daily in my practice. EFT is a psychological acupressure technique that can help you to effectively address your stress-related thoughts and leave you feeling calmer and more able to face your challenges.
One: Sexual arousal occurs not just in the genitals, but also in the whole body, especially the brain. For men, it actually begins when the brain sends impulses down the spinal cord and out to the nerves that serve the penis.
These impulses trigger the production of nitric oxide. The neurotransmitter that causes the sexual message, in men and women, is acetlycholine (ACH). With too little ACH, sexual activity goes down. One way to safely and effectively enhance ACH levels in the body is to take choline supplements (1,000-3,000 mg) and vitamin B5 (500-1,500 mg).
Two: Studies have proven that active men who engage in regular physical activity lowered their risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction. Exercise helps ward off impotence the same way it can prevent heart attacks, by keeping blood vessels open. So check out my most recent exercise guidelines to get started on a routine today.
Three: Optimize your diet based on your body's unique nutritional type. We each have a unique nutritional type and each type demands varying ratios of macronutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrates) to function optimally.
My Total Health Program provides a deeper understanding of eating the right foods for your specific nutritional type and includes a test and the means to learn and understand your own nutritional type.
Four: Because sexual dysfunction can worsen due to stress and anxiety, it is imperative to take control of your emotions by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the proven energy psychology tool I use daily in my practice. EFT is a psychological acupressure technique that can help you to effectively address your stress-related thoughts and leave you feeling calmer and more able to face your challenges.
I also recommend reading the recent article that Dr. Douglas MacKay wrote for the site, The Secret Solution to Male Virility.