Self-stimulation is a healthy and normal activity. It is also a great way to maintain your sexual response and improve your sexual performance. However, for some men, masturbation doesn’t always end in pleasure. In fact, it can end in frustration or loss of erection.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. However, experts caution that losing your erection during masturbation might be a red flag of a larger health issue. It might be a sign that your circulation and your heart might be at risk down the road.
A recent study which was published in the International Society for Sexual Medicine found that 45 percent of men report they are sometimes unable to maintain an erection while masturbating. The researchers compared the health of these men with the health of the men who did not lose their erections and they found that the former were more likely to have increased cardiovascular risk. These men also experienced fewer erections during the night and had lower sex drive overall.
In other words, losing your erection during masturbation might not just be an isolated issue, especially if it happens repeatedly over time. While it might be easy to shrug off the issue and assume that stress or lack of time or inspiration might be to blame, the real reason might be that your cardiovascular health is impaired. If you have other issues such as those covered in the study (like low libido), then it might be another red flag to consider.
Sexual health is largely connected to physical health, and when something goes awry inside the bedroom, it can often be an indicator of something outside the bedroom (and vice versa). While many men are concerned with the loss of erections during intercourse, they might not realize that loss of erections during masturbation can be equally problematic. As this study shows, erections are about more than just physical pleasure and orgasm, they are about strong blood flow and overall health.
If you have experienced loss of erection during masturbation, it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor about the issue, especially if it has increased in occurrence. It could be a sign that your cardiovascular health is at risk. It is also a good idea to take inventory of your lifestyle. Making small but crucial changes like adding daily exercise and cutting back on junk food can not only help to improve your erections, it can help to add years to your life.