Have You Lost Your Sex Drive?
“It is normal for many people to lose their sex drive after a certain age especially in the case of women”
With every passing decade of life, the body loses its functionality and several changes occur due to hormonal and biological alterations. The loss of libido (sex drive) is a common problem that can affect men and women of any age. It is normal for many people to lose their sex drive after a certain age, especially in the case of women. And usually it happens when a woman reaches perimenopausal age, which is 42 onwards.
Typically, women experience mood swings, vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse, in the perimenopausal phase, which is before menopause and after the age of 45 and above – the ideal age of menopause. The level of oestrogen (the female hormone) starts falling in the blood which can affect libido and thus, women lose interest in sex.
Affects Men And Women Equally
Loss of libido or low sex drive is actually a woman’s problem, but men today, are not far behind. There are also those who fall victim to a lack of libido even at an early age of 37. And in most cases, low testosterone levels are found to be the cause of this.
Stress and no physical activity too contribute to the loss of libido and present lifestyle conditions like long hours at a sitting job and very less physical activity are making men more predisposed to a lack of libido.
Women on the other hand, suffer the most with a low sex drive. Though there are various causes for the loss of libido among females, hormonal changes during the period of pregnancy and lactation may lead to a lack of libido. In addition to this, tiredness, low self- esteem and other psychological factors are also counted among contributory causes for a lack of libido.
Many a times, after pregnancy women experience postpartum depression (PPD) due to tiredness, but usually this condition gets resolved in a few months’ time. However, due to a low sex drive, women may suffer from secondary infertility after their first pregnancy.
Causes Of A Lack Of Libido
Physical Issues:
Physical issues such as low testosterone may be the cause of a lack of libido. This hormone is responsible for stimulating sperm production. muscles growth and bone mass. As people age, the production of testosterone takes a declining shift leading to a loss of libido. However, a drastic tall of this hormone may occur due to other bodily changes and lifestyle conditions, thus making libido disappear at an early age.
Medications:
Few medicines like medication for high blood pressure are held responsible for reducing libido in men. This may also prevent erections ejaculation and men may develop other allergies. Medication for hyperprolactinemia, a rare disorder in which the gland at the base of the brain is producing too many hormones, anti-androgenic drugs like finasteride cimetidine and cyproterone also deter the production of testosterone.
Psychological Issues:
These include depression, stress and problems in a couple’s relationship. Depression and stress takes a toll on the health and if the feeling of sadness lasts for a long time, its effects could be grievous. Apart from a lack of peace of mind, depression and stress may harm one’s sex life too.
Illness:
There are many aspects which can interfere with sperm production. These includes hormonal change in the body, diabetes, injury in the back after delivery and chronic illness like cancer. Thus, all the above mentioned factors are responsible for the loss of libido in women and men. Diminishing levels of sex hormones or age-related health problems are also causes of a lack of libido.
Treatment
Unfortunately there is no simple pill that women or men can just have to forget about their problems and get back to their normal sex lite. The treatment for libido depends upon identifying the root cause and determining the solution
accordingly.
In case of any medical disorders the person is afflicted with, like diabetes or blood pressure, the initial treatment should start to resolve this problem. If ¡t is the effect of other drugs or medication, this too needs to be changed.
There are other reasons as well, like endometriosis which causes painful intercourse and leads to a low sex drive. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition is possible through laparoscopy or GnRH analogue therapy. Lifestyle modification and regular exercise helps increase one’s libido. Also, here are a few tips you can try on your own to improve your libido:
- Live a healthier lifestyle
- Get enough sleep
- Practice stress management
- Reduce alcohol intake
- Go for testosterone replacement therapy (ask your doctor first)
- Counselling