Erectile dysfunction is a worldwide phenomenon affecting men of all ages and backgrounds, and it may even be more prevalent in our country.
According to a 2017 study assessing the prevalence of ED in New Zealand, approximately 1 in 3 men aged 40 to 70 years old have ED – relatively high when compared to the World Health Organization’s global standards.
While people have been using infrared saunas to reap a variety of health and wellness benefits such as detoxification and pain relief, these can also extend to helping men treat erectile dysfunction and may even help in enhancing performance.
This article by the Sun Stream Saunas team will delve into the science behind infrared saunas, and go over benefits that may be overall effective in treating erectile dysfunction.
How Do You Define Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is a type of reproductive disorder characterised by the inability to establish or maintain an erection.
This happens primarily with age but may also be due to obesity, chronic conditions such as heart and blood vessel disease, diabetes, and the influence of more psychological factors, with the absence of curiosity or pleasure in depression as an example.
So, how can the benefits of infrared sauna help? While there are possibly more benefits we won’t mention due to inconclusive evidence, we have outlined three main advantages below:
Blood Pressure Levels
The association between high blood pressure and ED is well established in the medical space, as diseases stemming from this process, such as hypertension, can damage blood vessels in your genitals and interrupt blood flow.
Infrared saunas help in this regard as they can significantly lower both your systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Both high SBP and DBP levels can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular health conditions like the ones mentioned above.
In the results of one study, researchers found that a 15-minute sauna session increased their participants’ heart rate, it also significantly helped decrease their SBP and DBP.
While this study is primarily aimed at determining the effects of saunas on blood pressure levels, this may also suggest that given the right circumstances, may help in erectile treating erectile dysfunction.
Improved Blood Flow
Normal erectile function is also closely associated with proper blood flow, and infrared saunas significantly improve upon this benefit as they allow the blood vessels in your body to vasodilate.
This process involves widening your blood vessels and allowing more blood to flow through them while also lowering blood pressure.
Additionally, it has been proven that regular sauna sessions can increase nitric oxide production in the body.
This is especially important to note, as nitric oxide production decreases as we age, and it is known to help our blood vessels and arteries achieve vasodilation – a process that saunas impose upon the body, as a means of cooling itself down.
Fat Loss
Several small physiological processes linked to obesity can collectively lead to erectile dysfunction. For example, chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress are both small factors that can damage tissues in your genitals.
Additionally, obesity is closely linked to higher insulin resistance, which inhibits nitric oxide production and vasodilation, both of which are essential for normal erectile function.
The benefits of infrared sauna become most prevalent when implemented in combination with a proper diet and exercise, significantly aiding in weight loss efforts – having the potential to passively burn about 400-600 calories for every 450 grams of sweat lost within 30 minutes, extending physicality of the body to pair with further days of active exercise can take advantage of this extra expenditure of energy.
Infrared saunas also help in lowering cortisol levels. This is important because excess cortisol can slow down your metabolism and increase your appetite, which may indirectly lead to weight gain.
Conclusion – Can The Benefits of Infrared Sauna Extend to Erectile Dysfunction?
Based on what was discussed above, infrared saunas do have the potential to treat erectile dysfunction and may even improve their performance.
However, it’s important to note that infrared saunas are just one of the many tools you could use in treating impotence.
Proper diet, exercise, and ample sleep are the best ways to naturally treat this condition. Instead, you could view infrared saunas as a supplement to maximise these gains.
If you love what you’re seeing and unsure of what to pick, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We’ll gladly be of assistance.