Americans are dead serious about the war on germs. These days, you can find germ-killing chemicals in just about every consumer product imaginable, from toothpaste to children's toys.
We slather antibacterial soaps, lotions and deodorants on our bodies. We spray antibacterial cleansers on our bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances. We suds our clothes with antibacterial laundry detergents.
It may seem like the responsible thing to do, but the overuse of antibacterial products is proving to be more harmful than helpful. After a thorough investigation, an Food and Drug Administration advisory committee concluded that using antibacterial products doesn't provide any health benefits, nor does it reduce the risk of illness any more than washing up with plain soap and water.
Experts testifying before the FDA committee reported that there is no proven correlation between the use of antiseptic hand washes and a reduction in the occurrence of illnesses in homes, schools or daycare centers. Even worse, widespread use of common antibacterial products is likely to promote the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
The active ingredient in most antibacterial soaps, detergents and cleansers is triclosan, a chemical compound with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Tricolsan inhibits bacterial growth by interfering with specific processes in the life cycle of the bacteria.
While the triclosan found in many consumer products may kill weaker species of bacteria on the spot, the bacteria that aren't immediately destroyed can undergo mutations that allow them to thrive in the presence of antibacterial agents. Continuous use of triclosan-containing products is believed to be a contributing factor in the rise of bacterial "super-bugs" that are resistant to a number of antibiotic drugs.
Antibiotic resistance is only one of many health-related concerns linked to use of triclosan. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that widespread use of antimicrobial agents may weaken our immune systems.
The development of a healthy immune system depends on our exposure to a wide variety of microbes, especially during childhood. Many experts fear that children raised in super-sterile environments will end up with weak, immature immune systems that leave them susceptible to disease.
Recent research supports this notion: The results of several studies suggest that children living in ultra-clean homes are more likely to develop asthma, allergies and eczema. Kids who grow up on farms have been found to have fewer allergies than those raised in urban and metropolitan areas.
Other triclosan-related health concerns center on the potential toxicity of the chemical itself. Swedish researchers discovered high levels of triclosan in three of five human breast milk samples tested, indicating that the chemical is absorbed into the body and stored in fatty tissues.
Because the chemical structure of triclosan closely resembles human hormones, including estrogen, some experts fear that it may upset the body's delicate hormonal balance. A number of animal studies suggest that triclosan can interfere with thyroid hormone regulation and may also exert a depressant effect on the central nervous system.
While many experts are concerned about the risk of direct exposure to the chemical, others are worried about the impact of triclosan accumulation in the environment. After finding antimicrobial chemicals in surface water samples in Baltimore, researchers at Johns Hopkins University concluded that these agents may be important contaminants of U.S. water sources.
The presence of triclosan and other antimicrobial agents is believed to contribute to the destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems. In the presence of ultraviolet light from the sun, triclosan is converted to dioxin, a chemical linked to infertility, birth defects and cancer.
The vast majority of triclosan used in this country is found in consumer products that will ultimately end up in public water supplies. A 2000 survey found that 75 percent of liquid soaps and 30 percent of bar soaps contain some type of antibacterial agent, most commonly triclosan.
When it comes to protecting yourself and your family from disease-causing germs, the use of triclosan-containing products probably isn't necessary. Regular hand-washing is one of the most effective strategies for reducing the risk of infection.
If soap and water aren't immediately available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an acceptable alternative to hand-washing. While these products effectively kill bacteria, their use has not been associated with the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
In the war on germs, it's tempting to resort to the use of high-tech chemicals, but washing up the old-fashioned way -- with lots of soap and water -- might be best for you, your family and the environment.
source : www.rallieonhealth.com
Sunday, 15 June 2008
Anti-Bacterial Agents Linked to Human and Environmental Health Risks
Friday, 13 June 2008
Why health is important
You are what you eat. What you eat affects your health. When you do not watch your diet, your health faces problems. A lot of people in this world are seeking wealth. They spent hours working everyday, commit themselves to their work, aiming for promotions and pay-rise from their work. The entrepreneurs and business people, too have the common objective of earning more money, always thinking of how to earn more money. No doubt money is important, your health is even more important. Everyday, your ability to go to work - waking up early in the morning and able to have the drive to work, is all due to your good health. Without a healthy body, you do not even have any earning potential! When your health is at risk, you are in pain, do you think you can earn money then? Do you think you can go to work with the drive and energy as when you are in normal health? Do you think you can bear the pain - save money and do not need to see doctor?
Our health is our 'everything'. Whether you are a toddler, a child, a teenage or an adult, a good health enable you to perform the daily functions of life. For students, a normal health, allow them to able to go to school, to obtain knowledge and the building of character. For adults, good health means you can go to work everyday, to earn a living, to be able to achieve your goals in life. Good health also enable you to enjoy life.
The greatest asset of life is our ability to be able to wake up everyday and go to work. I am sure you have experienced time when you are not able to wake up in certain time of the morning. You are sick. Your bodies are aching. You have headaches and to make it worse, you feel nauseous and you may be having diarrhea too. When time like that strikes, you have to call up the office to report sick. You applied for medical leave. As a salary worker or staff, under such circumstances you are paid at the end of the month your monthly salary. Every year, you have certain number of days to apply for your sickness. However, some people like the self-employed individuals such as the taxi-drivers and some property agents or sales people are paid based on commission alone. If they don't work, they have no earnings for that day. These people know truly well that they cannot afford to be sick. A day without work means a day without paid for them!
When you are sick, you need to see doctor. Nobody can bear the pains of sickness and diseases. When you are sick, you are suffering.
You cannot function well and most of the time you just want to sleep or lie down to rest. You do not have the energy to even move around. So it makes work really impossible.
Apart from physical health, mental health is also important. Some people do not have diseases or viral illness or sickness at all. But their mental health got problems. Some people have mild mental health problems, while some others have more serious mental health problems. Those people who suffer serious mental illness have to be hospitalised. While some people are hospitalised for treatments or for other reasons such as abandoned by families, others are being looked after by their own family members at home. For such cases of serious mental illness, no one would want to employ them. Neither can they look after themselves. They have lost their earning potential. They cannot contribute anything to the society. They have to rely on care-givers to provide for their daily needs and care.
When you do not take care of your health, it may means spending more money than what you are earning now. We know that medical expenses are getting more expensive. We cannot afford to fall sick. Once illness strikes, you need to see doctor, get treatment, seek remedies to soothe and to reduce your sufferings. Most of the time, diseases are chronic and life-long. Treatment may be monthly, like kidney dialysis, and these are liablities to you. When such time come, you don't even feel good. You are limited to the number of things that you can do. You are limited to the food that you can eat too. Life would not be as enjoyable and free when you have a normal health!
For people with mild cases of mental problems, is important to seek help while it's early to prevent the illness from progressing further. That applies to physical health too. Our health would signal us that there is problem when you develop signs and symptoms which affect you in your daily functions of life. When these 'alarm' strikes, you should pay attention to it. It is giving you a warning and you'd better do something to it. If you don't, whatever dreams or hopes that you have for the future will be at risk anytime.
All in all, I would say that our health is our greatest asset that we have. Health is important to us as it enables you to fulfill your dreams and goals in life. In pursuing your life's goals and dreams, you seek meaning in life. Many times, our goals in life might be to achieve materials things, which require money. When your health do not permit you to work anymore, you lost the earning potential and to make it worse, you became a liability to your family and to the society too. As for minority of people who find great satisfaction of life through helping people by one means or another, this require a good health to serve people too. When such time arises, when you have poor health - when illness strikes, it became an obstacles and hindrance to your dreams come true. It becomes a suffering in your life.
source : www.helium.com
BEAUTY ACHES
5 Solutions For Less Painful and Healthier Ways to Keep Up Appearances
Shoes that pinch, elastic that squeezes, facials that burn. Ladies, there are a lot of less painful--not to mention healthier--ways to keep up appearances.
Cramming your toes into stilettos and stuffing your thighs into control tops might seem like harmless--albeit really uncomfortable--beauty badges of honor. But they can have some surprisingly serious consequences. "Many women think it's normal to experience some suffering to look their best," says Cynthia Vaughn, a chiropractor in Austin, Texas. "But their health may be the thing that suffers." We're not suggesting you trade in your party clothes for an Amish wardrobe. Instead, learn how a few simple adjustments can keep you in sexy shoes and jaw-dropping dresses--and out of the doctor's office.
Girl Problem #1 Being a big bag lady
No matter how much you love your giant piece of arm candy, eventually you're going to feel the effects of the relationship in your neck and shoulders. That's because the trapezius (the muscle that connects the shoulder to the neck) and levator scapulae (which elevates the shoulder blade) fatigue in the effort to support your bag. The muscles begin to tear, and headaches may even develop. "Heavy purses pull the muscles that go up to the base of your skull," says Karen Erickson, a New York City chiropractor. Fast-forward 5 to 10 years and you've got shoulder numbness and tingling from pinched nerves, back pain, and arthritis of the neck. And you're wearing a fanny pack.
Problem solved: First, clean out that cavernous hobo bag. Switch sides every 10 minutes. And every hour or so, drop the bag and roll your shoulders backward and then forward five times to relieve muscle tension. Or try to let your biceps do the work: Put the strap of your purse below the elbow and bend your arm in an L shape. If your shoulders or neck hurt, halt further damage by placing an ice pack on the sore area for 15 minutes.
Girl Problem #2 Stuffing into spandex
Body shapers, compression garments, girdles--they practically give "hardware" a whole new meaning. And while they may make cottage cheese lumps look smooth as butter in the short term, they can cause other unsightly bumps down the line. Like aging, obesity, and pregnancy, constrictive undergarments can create varicose veins. The problem is that your leg veins aren't strong enough to overcome the stranglehold of body slimmers. The force that hides bulges also restricts circulation. That causes the blood to pool, stretching your veins. "The pressure makes veins inflate like balloons," says Lenise Banse, M.D., a dermatologist in Clinton Township, Michigan. Do enough time in sausage casing-like slimmers and nasty blue cords pop up in your thighs.
Problem solved: Minimize the damage by getting your blood flowing again. As soon as you can wiggle free, walk briskly for 5 minutes so the muscles squeeze that venous blood back up toward the heart, Dr. Banse says. Then elevate your legs at a 45-degree angle for as long as you can. And don't jam yourself into a body shaper that's too tight--spandex can't take you from a size 8 to a size 4. Try the Breathe by Barely There Thigh Slimmer ($15, barelythere.com).
Girl Problem #3 Going for the burn
Exfoliating scrubs or peels are like tough love for your complexion: A bit of abrasion can send lackluster flakes and pore-clogging dead cells packing, revealing the soft, dewy skin underneath. But some people take facial discipline too far and cause rashes, breakouts, bacterial infection, and scarring. Exfoliating more than once a week can make skin vulnerable to irritation. Plus, you can instigate acne or make it worse. "If you scrub your face too frequently, you irritate it to the point that it's overproducing oil," says Jeanine B. Downie, M.D., coauthor of Beautiful Skin of Color. And the acids found in at-home peels can be harsh if overused.
Problem solved: Don't treat your face like a juvenile delinquent. If you have sensitive skin, use products that contain retinoids (chemicals that cause skin to slough), or have cystic acne, stay away from exfoliators altogether or risk painful irritation. As for the rest of you: Bypass scrubs with rough particles like apricot kernels. Instead, look for ones featuring smooth beads made from jojoba wax (a moisturizing plant oil) or beeswax. That said, even dermatologists can't always tell by looking at the ingredients what the exfoliating granules are made of, so you may just have to buy and try. "If a product feels like sandpaper, use it on your elbows, knees, or heels--you don't have to waste it," Dr. Downie says. Moisturize to help prevent irritation, wait a week between exfoliating treatments, and limit at-home peels to once every 2 weeks. If you feel burning (a little sting is normal), immediately rinse with water, apply moisturizer, and toss the peel.
Girl Problem #4 Falling into the crack
Never mind butt cleavage and wedgies, thongs can be a pain in the backside for other reasons. That thin strip of fabric may save you from the dreaded VPL, but it also serves as a superhighway for microbes. When the underwear hits your perineum (the patch of skin between the vagina and the anus), bacteria hitch a ride straight to your vagina. "A thong is actually a connector," says Adelaide Nardone, M.D., an ob-gyn in Providence, Rhode Island. As you move, the fabric shifts--and before you can say "Monistat," you've got a yeast infection. To make matters worse, unlike granny panties, thongs tend to rub. This causes tiny tears in the delicate skin around your vulva and clitoris, creating access for microbes.
Problem solved: You don't have to toss your thongs, as long as they're cotton or have a cotton crotch. The breathable fabric keeps you drier, so bacteria can't grow as easily. You might also consider growing out that Brazilian bikini line: Hair serves as a barrier between you and your panties, so leaving more carpet on the floor provides cushioning for your delicates, Dr. Nardone says. And don't wear thongs when you exercise. Invest in some workout bottoms with cotton crotches and go commando.
Girl Problem #5 Wearing skyscraper heels
Trapping your feet in toe-squeezing stilettos may seem worth it for the attention your date gives you. But your ankles, knees, and hips will require more attention after too much time teetering on spikes. Heels force your ankle joints to work overtime to maintain your balance, causing unnatural wear and tear, says Kathya Zinszer, D.P.M., of Temple University's Foot and Ankle Institute. This balancing act also erodes cartilage, the spongy tissue between bones. "When the cartilage wears down, you get painful bone-on-bone rubbing," says D. Casey Kerrigan, M.D., a professor at the University of Virginia.
Problem solved: Lower your standards. A 3-inch heel puts seven times as much pressure on your foot (which also affects your ankles and knees) as a 1-incher. Cap heel height at 2 inches and wear platforms or wedges so your joints don't have to strain to balance. And look for soles with shock-absorbing materials like cork and rubber--because no one wants to go from slingbacks and peep-toes to walkers and canes.
Copyright© 2008 Rodale Inc. Portions of content copyright© 2006-2008. All rights reserved. Women's Health is a Registered Trademark of Rodale Inc. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Rodale Inc.
source : www.aolhealth.com
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Did You Start Your Life With Enough Probiotics?
Why does disease begin in the digestive tract? Your digestive tract is your first line of defense when it comes to your health. This is because of the good bacteria that
resides there. That is why the use of Probiotics is so important
Think of Probiotics - the good bacteria as guards against incoming invaders. Having a good number of these beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract guards us against a whole range of health problems and disorders. 85% good bacteria to 15%
bad bacteria is just about right.
Sadly, because of such things as stresses of modern life, the antibiotics you may have taken and having a digestive system that is not slightly acid, you likely do not have enough of these good bacteria. This has a great affect on your health and well being.
So how long have your Probiotics been out of balance? First lets find out whether you got the healthy bacteria you needed as a baby.
Were you born naturally or delivered by Cesarean section? It makes a difference. It is by passing through the birth canal that a baby is introduced to the Bifidobacteria infantis and other
friendly microorganisms.
These friendly bacteria enter the baby's intestines through the mouth and attach themselves to sites on the gastrointestinal wall before the unfreindly microorganisms from the outside world
try to do the same.
Breast Feeding
Breast-feeding then fosters the growth of Bifidobacteria, particularly Bifidobacteria infantis. If cesarean delivered babies are then bottle-fed as well, they end up with adult-type microflora
that are not optimal for their health.
If you know that you were delivered by cesarean, or bottle fed, and you have health problems, your digestive tract could use some help. Find a high quality probiotic supplements and stick with it for at least 3 Months.
You will find that you have an increase in better health, you may have less allergies, less constipation and less bad breath.
source : www.health-doc.com
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Overweight Can Lead To High Blood Pressure
A number of medical studies have established a correlation between people who are overweight and elevated blood pressure levels. As with anything else, there is variety in terms of how the effects are presented: specifically, the more overweight a person is, the more likely they are to have elevated blood pressure. In addition, an overweight person or a person who's obese has a higher tendency for elevated blood pressure than people who have a normal body weight. Whether a variation or not, the study outcomes provide mostly conclusive evidence that overweight and high blood pressure are linked.
Breaking it down into actual percentages, men who are obese have high blood pressure roughly forty-two percent of the time. Women who are obese have high blood pressure roughly forty percent on the time. While on their face these percentages may not seem outrageous, consider that men and women who aren't obese have high blood pressure only fifteen percent of the time roughly. Carrying too much body weight can then potentially triple the risk of high blood pressure.
The most relevant point is that being overweight is associated with elevated blood pressure, but just how this occurs is worthwhile information. Essentially what happens is people who are overweight tend to have higher blood sugar levels than normal, and their pancreas function produces extra insulin to cope with breaking down sugar in their bloodstream. The increased insulin production adversely affects several bodily functions: increased insulin can lead to blood vessels become thickened and rigid; excess levels of insulin can produce surges of adrenaline, which increases the physical functioning of the heart; and higher insulin levels can trigger the kidneys absorbing excess levels of water and salt.
The typical response to overweight is that it's a problem of appearance: dropping excess weight typically means an increased sense of body satisfaction. While body appearance can be meaningful to people, the risk of overweight is far more than just an issue of how one's reflection appears in a mirror. Overweight and obesity are legitimate threats to an individual's health and life, both from the risk of increased blood pressure as well as from other medical conditions.
source : www.articlecity.com Read More..
Diabetes Drug May Slow Eye Disease
The medication rosiglitazone may slow the progression of eye disease in diabetes patients, according to new research from the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Specifically, researchers found that patients who took the drug were less likely to develop proliferative diabetic retinopathy or to experience reductions in visual acuity (sharpness). But they are not recommending the drug's use until further studies are done.
In proliferative diabetic retinopathy, existing blood vessels in the retina are blocked or damaged, resulting in the formation of new, tiny blood vessels. The condition is one of the leading causes of severe vision loss among working-age Americans, and there are few effective therapies to slow its progression.
In this study, researchers compared 124 diabetes patients who took rosiglitazone and 158 diabetes patients who didn't take the drug or a similar medication. At the start of the study, 14 eyes of the people in the rosiglitazone group (6.4 percent) and 24 eyes of people in the control group (9.3 percent) had severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, an earlier stage of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Of the patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, 7.7 percent of those in the rosiglitazone group and 29.2 percent of those in the control group progressed to proliferative diabetic retinopathy within one year. After three years, 19.2 percent of the rosiglitazone group and 47.4 percent of the control group had progressed to proliferative diabetic retinopathy. That works out to a 59.5 percent reduced risk for those taking the drug.
The study also found that 0.5 percent of the rosiglitazone group and 14.5 percent of the control group experienced a loss of visual acuity of at least three lines on the vision chart during an average of 2.8 years of follow-up.
The study is published in the June issue of the journal Archives of Ophthalmology.
Rosiglitazone may delay progression of retinopathy by reducing formation of new blood vessels, the researchers said.
"However, because this study does not rigorously prove that rosiglitazone either reduces the incidence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy or prevents loss of visual acuity, and because there may be adverse effects from therapy, rosiglitazone treatment of patients with diabetes specifically to reduce these ophthalmic complications is not advocated at this time," they wrote.
Rosiglitazone can cause such adverse effects as fluid build-up, abnormal liver function test, and worsening of congestive heart failure.
"Determination of the full efficacy and clinical role of rosiglitazone in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and other angiogenic conditions awaits confirmation of risks and benefits and possibly large-scale definitive studies," the researchers concluded.
source : http://news.yahoo.com
Life after 50: A Harvard study of male sexuality
Even the most optimistic men know that the clock ticks for all of us. With each passing year, our bodies change, as does our behavior.
It’s certainly no surprise that male sexuality changes over time. Some 400 years ago Shakespeare asked, “Is it not strange that desire should so many years outlive performance?” Still, a major Harvard study of male sexual function in maturity does contain some surprises. It reports that sexual dysfunction is common and increases rapidly as men age. But it also says that simple lifestyle choices can slow the tick of the clock for many of us.
The Harvard study
Until Viagra burst onto the scene in 1998, few men were willing to discuss sexual problems. But the little blue pill and Senator Bob Dole changed all that, and researchers took advantage of the new openness to conduct a study of age and male sexuality.
The subjects were 31,742 men between the ages of 53 and 90. As members of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, all were dentists, optometrists, osteopaths, podiatrists, pharmacists, or veterinarians. That makes them knowledgeable observers and reliable reporters of their health, but they do not reflect the broader U.S. population in terms of education, income, and race.
Since it began in 1986, the study has been gathering an enormous amount of information, and in 2000, it added sexuality to its semiannual surveys. Each man answered questions about his sexual desire, his ability to sustain an erection satisfactorily for intercourse, his ability to reach orgasm, and his overall sexual function. Because the database also contains details about each man’s general health, medications, and health habits, the scientists were able to evaluate sexuality in terms of health and lifestyle as well as age.
The toll of time
One of the striking results of the study was that men with prostate cancer are 10–15 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction than men without the disease. In nearly all cases, the sexual difficulties stem from the treatment rather than the cancer itself. But since the incidence of prostate cancer increases steadily with age, it could skew the results of the analysis. To avoid confusion, the study excluded men with prostate cancer from the final tabulation, though it did include all other medical conditions.
Even in men without prostate cancer, the prevalence of sexual problems was very high: 29% reported moderate or severe difficulties. But not all age groups were equally affected; major problems rose from 10% in men younger than 59 years to 23% in 60- to 69-year-olds, 47% in 70- to 79-year-olds, and 64% in men 80 and over.
Each aspect of sexual function showed progressive problems with age. Fully a third of the men reported moderate to severe erectile dysfunction; but only 2% remembered that their difficulty began before the age of 40 and only 4% reported that it developed between 40 and 49. After 50, the number of men with the problem rose steeply from 26% between 50 and 59 all the way to 61% after 70. And as usual, Shakespeare got it right; although libido also decreased with age, sexual desire was preserved substantially better than erectile function.
Testosterone and male sexuality
The male hormone testosterone is necessary for the development of male genital structures during fetal life. It triggers the dramatic events of puberty, and it is necessary for libido, sexual function, and fertility throughout maturity. Testosterone levels peak at about age 17, then remain high for the next few decades. But after the age of 40, testosterone levels fall by about 1% a year. That doesn’t sound like much, but by the age of 70 or so, it adds up to a 30% decline.
Testosterone levels fall just as many men begin to experience sexual dysfunction. But that doesn’t make testosterone responsible for the problem. In fact, most men have plenty of testosterone to spare, so levels remain in the normal range in at least 75% of senior citizens.
Testosterone patches and gels are increasingly popular among older men; doctors write more than a million such prescriptions a year, and the number is increasing rapidly. In addition, many men take weaker male hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (Andro) that are sold without a prescription as “dietary supplements.” It’s not a good idea. There is no evidence that male hormones will improve sexual performance in healthy men, and by stimulating the prostate, they may do more harm than good.
Men who are truly testosterone deficient (hypogonadism) have diminished sexual interest and desire as well as erectile dysfunction. They can benefit from testosterone replacement therapy, but only after careful medical tests establish a diagnosis of testicular insufficiency.
The toll of illness
Sexuality is not the only thing that changes with age. Chronic illnesses also become more common, and in each age group, sexual dysfunction was most prevalent in men with illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer (other than prostate cancer), and stroke.
All in all, men who remain well are less likely to develop sexual dysfunction with age than men who fall ill. And men who take good care of themselves enjoy substantial protection from both illness and sexual decline.
The benefits of healthful choices
No man chooses to get sick, but many choose behaviors that boost their odds of becoming ill. Although the health professionals who participated in the study should have known better, some didn’t — and they paid the price in terms of impaired sexual function as well as illness. The risk of sexual problems was linked to smoking, obesity, heavy drinking, and the time spent watching television. In contrast, regular physical exercise and moderate alcohol consumption help preserve good sexual function. In this respect, the study agrees with earlier research showing that erectile dysfunction can be prevented.
Age and sexuality
The Harvard study of male sexuality and age is the largest of its kind and provides important confirmation of earlier research as well as additional interesting information. Chronic illness and the medications used to treat them account for many of the sexual problems of older men; depression can also take a toll. But even in healthy men, a slow change in sexuality begins in middle age and continues throughout life. Whereas most older men retain an interest in sex, it is generally a far cry from the preoccupation with sex that is so common in youth. Although interest is retained, desire tends to wane; many older men think about sex but do not have the drive to put theory into practice. And even when the spirit is willing, the flesh may be weak; male sexual performance typically declines more rapidly than either interest or desire. Most men experience decreased sexual responsiveness with increasing age. Erections occur more slowly, and they depend more on physical stimulation than erotic thoughts. Even when erections develop, most men in their sixties report that their penile rigidity is diminished and harder to sustain. The ejaculatory phase also changes with age. The muscular contractions of orgasm are less intense, ejaculation is slower and less urgent, and there is a longer refractory period following intercourse, when men cannot respond to sexual stimulation. Semen volume and sperm counts decline, as does fertility.
The study evaluated sexuality but not relationships. Sexual intercourse requires a partner, but male sexuality demonstrates age-related changes that do not depend on interpersonal factors. Nocturnal erections diminish with age; men between 45 and 54 average 3.3 erections per night; between 65 and 75, they average 2.3 erections. Nocturnal erections also tend to become briefer and less rigid with age.
Life may not begin at 80, but sex life doesn’t automatically end with advancing age. Many surveys report that the frequency of sexual activity declines, but they disagree about how often older couples have intercourse. In round numbers, 50%–80% of healthy couples over 70 report sexual activity on a regular basis, including weekly intercourse in about half of them.
The secret to preserving sexuality is to stay healthy and to build healthy relationships — and both require a series of wise choices throughout life
source : body.aol.com
