Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual Dysfunction – An Ayurvedic Perspective

Ayurvedic Treatment for Sexual Dysfunction

Today we are going to have a discussion on Male Sexual Dysfunction. During our discussion, we will try to find a solution for this problem so that a person can enjoy a good sexual life. For this, today we have Dr. Parmeshwar Arora in our studio. Welcome to the show Dr. Parmeshwar.


Q. What actually is Male Sexual Dysfunction?


Male Sexual Dysfunction, as the name itself suggests, refers to improper functioning of male sexual act. This condition can be of three different types:


  1. Loss of libido i.e. having no inclination towards a sexual act
  2. Erectile dysfunction i.e. inability to develop or maintain an erection of the organ
  3. Premature ejaculation i.e. when the semen is expelled soon after sexual activity and with minimal penile stimulation. This is also referred to as ‘early discharge’ or ‘sheeghra patan’ in common language.

If a person is suffering from any of these three conditions then we refer to him as a patient of Male Sexual Dysfunction.


Q. So, these are the three natures of this disease but I would like you to explain each one of them in more detail. As you mentioned, one nature of this problem is having no inclination towards sexual life. Why does this happen?


I talked about loss of libido which means having no inclination towards sexual life. I consider two things in this condition. The first could be, possibly our hormones are not being released properly. When we talk about hormones then there are four types of sexual hormones. The first hormone is gonadotropin releasing hormone (GRH) which is secreted by hypothalamus. In response to this, our pituitary gland secretes follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The fourth hormone is gonadal hormone which is testosterone in case of males. A proper and balanced secretion of these four hormones is responsible for a good sexual life in a male person. Any disturbance in these hormones e.g. if gonadotropin is not being released properly or if the male hormone i.e. testosterone is not being released properly etc., will result in loss of libido i.e. loss of inclination towards sexual life.


Secondly, the kind of lifestyle that we are leading today involves living in negativity and leading a stressful life. This too can be a reason for loss of libido. So, these two factors can bring about the condition of loss of libido in a person.



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Q. Secondly, you mentioned erectile dysfunction. Why does this condition occur?


For this, I would like to explain the process of erection, first. The penile (male sex organ) has a very rich vascularity i.e. it has a very good blood supply. The arterioles (i.e. the blood vessels) present in this organ are under the control of parasympathetic nervous system. So, whenever a person has a desire of sex, then under his parasympathetic stimulation, these arterioles become excessively dialated and a very good amount of blood is supplied here. During that period, the supply of blood increases whereas its retreat through veins, stop. So, due to accumulation of excess blood, a kind of stiffness is created in the organ which is responsible for its erection. This is the general phenomenon but now the question is, what causes a disturbance in this phenomenon due to which a person does not have naturally good erection. See, the parasympathetic nervous system is that part of nervous system which reflects happiness. At the time when we are relaxed, happy and inclined towards enjoyment, there is a stimulation in parasympathetic nervous system. The better the nervous stimulation, the better will be the dialatation of vessels and the better will be erection in the penis. So, first of all one would need to create a good, happy and positive atmosphere if he wants to have a good erection.


Secondarily, as I said, it’s all a game of nerves. The better is the stimulation of nerves the better would be dialatation of blood vessels i.e. arterioles would receive more blood. So, if someone has a weak nervous system, he will not have proper stimulation of nerves and as a result he would not have a good erection.


Thirdly, hormones have a role here too i.e. the erection would depend upon testosterone. And lastly, the more is the volume of seminal vesicles (in which the semen is produced), the better is the nervous stimulation and hence the erection.


To summarize, the four things which are responsible for a good erection in a person are: 1) pleasant atmosphere 2) strong nerves 3) Proper hormones and 4) presence of good volume of semen in the body. Disturbance in any of these can make you a victim of erectile dysfunction.


Q. You had mentioned one more point. I would like you to explain that too in detail.


The third type which I had mentioned was a problem of premature ejaculation. This is also referred to as early discharge. All those who are suffering from this problem would need to understand that ejaculation i.e. outflow of semen, is a sympathetic process. This means that ejaculation takes place on stimulation of sympathetic nervous system. The more you live under anxiety or perform intercourse in uncomfortable form, the more will be the stimulation of sympathetic nervous system. And, the sooner the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, the sooner will be ejaculation. So the first thing which is important is, as I said in case of erection, for a good erection it is important to be in happy atmosphere and be mentally relaxed, similarly if you don’t want to have premature ejaculation, it is important to be in joyful state of mind. I would like to tell you once again that erection is a parasympathetic stimulation and ejaculation is a sympathetic stimulation. We often see that if someone happens to have died a violation death i.e. his death is a result of an act of violence or stress, then there is a semen discharge. This is the proof that ejaculation is a sympathetic stimulation.


Secondarily, when we find that for some reason there is progressive dilution of semen then in that case the ejaculation of semen becomes very simple and easy. In such patients we use aphrodisiac medicines. The purpose is to make his semen, more dense and concentrated so that he needs a good nervous strength to ejaculate it which can only be achieved gradually after spending a particular amount of time. So, what I mean to say is, if we have two things with us i.e. a happy and joyful atmosphere and aphrodisiac medicine (like ashwagandha (Indian ginseng), Conch (Sea snail), musli (museli) or shatavari (asparagus racemosus)) which continuously make the semen dense and thick, then we can get rid of the problem of premature ejaculation, completely. So this is very simple remedy as we need very simple herbs. But some people want to achieve this by use of sexual tonics. I don’t think it’s a good approach. In Ayurveda, we have aphrodisiac medicines available which are very simple herbs and quite easily available at provision stores. I shall give you the formulation. So, use them accordingly and you will get your problem (of Male Sexual Dysfunction), solved. This problem causes lot of trouble mentally as well as physically. So, why not to get it resolved.


Q. Some people, who can’t enjoy their sexual life, sometimes use some supplements. Can taking supplements become a reason for Male Sexual Dysfunction ?


See, I would once again say this. Such medicines which are available in the market these days, will somehow make you dependent and along with that, they will give you several other problems too. It has been observed that any such agent which otherwise increases blood circulation in penis so as to give it an erection, damages retina of our eyes. It has been observed that these types of medicines cause loss of vision. Apart from this, they can also become a reason for heart attacks and can cause mental distress too. So somehow, such medicines which act instantly and you generally consume them right before sexual act should never be used because they not only make us dependent but also make us a victim of several other diseases.


As always, I would again say that to resolve a problem it is important to find the cause. For example, if the problem is of improper erection then we would need to find out the reason which is causing this problem and how it can be corrected. Ayurveda has very simple aphrodisiac medicines which can be used by anyone without any confusion as it does not involve any risk. These medicines will not only increase your sexual power but also improve your physical strength and they don’t even have any side effects. Some of these medicines are ashwagandha (Indian ginseng), conch (Sea snail), musli (museli) or shatavari (asparagus racemosus), jayphal (nutmeg), javitri (Mace), kupeelu (Nux vomica) etc.. Akarkara (Pellitory) is a great medicine for premature ejaculation and is safe too. So use these medicines and I am sure you will be able to lead a good (required) sexual life.