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Slower to Arouse
Why It's Happening:
In midlife, changes in the blood vessels that are responsible for creating and maintaining an erection may slow down arousal time. As a result, it's normal for most men in their 40s and 50s to need more time or stimulation to achieve an erection than when they were in their 20s or 30s.
What You Can Do:
If your body's not performing as you'd expect, first take a look at what you're putting into it. Cigarette smoking and alcohol intake are correlated with erectile difficulties (as are recreational drugs), says Art Hister, M.D., author of Midlife Man (Greystone Books, 1999). Certain prescription drugs can impede sexual arousal, too, including tranquilizers, antidepressants, antihypertensives and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. Ask your doctor how any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you are taking may affect your sexual functions.
That said, there is nothing "wrong" with slower sexual arousal at midlife. "It's normal for men in midlife to require more genital stimulation to get an erection," says Drogo Montague, M.D., director of the Center for Sexual Function at the Cleveland Clinic Urological Institute. "They may also require more erotic stimuli, fantasy, sight, sound and smells, but they'll still experience sexual pleasure," says Montague.
"In midlife, some men may require direct physical stimulation to get an erection, or they may not hit full hardness until they are in place," says Hister.
While many men take advantage of slower arousal times to pleasure their partners with extravagant foreplay, others choose to start popping Viagra at the first sign of erectile slowdowns. This may prove less fulfilling, however, than enjoying fun foreplay. Hister cautions, "In theory, Viagra does not enhance normal erections. It is not an aphrodisiac and doesn't work in the absence of sexual stimulation. It also doesn't work in every man."
In fact, the drug is only effective for about 70 percent of all men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction (ED). Less than half of those with severe cases say sildenafil has helped restore satisfactory sexual functioning. Although most sildenafil users never experience side effects, some do. These include headache, upset stomach, stuffy nose, flushing skin on face and body, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, and mild and temporary changes in the perception of blue/green colors or an increased sensitivity to light. In addition, no one knows what the long-term side effects of sildenafil may entail.
As a drug that dilates blood vessels, sildenafil may pose a serious threat to some men with cardiovascular problems. Taking sildenafil may be an urgent issue for men who take other drugs that dilate blood vessels, because the drug's interactions may bring blood pressure dangerously low.
Men who feel they are having serious problems with arousal and sexual response are best advised to see a urologist specializing in male urology.
See These Related Resources:
Assess the health of your erections
Top 10 sex fantasies for men and women
Get fit with Chad, your personal trainer
Viagra: One man's personal experience
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