Premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation, often considered a sensitive topic, is more common than one might think. It affects numerous individuals and can significantly impact intimate relationships. Understanding this condition and seeking effective solutions is crucial for improving one’s quality of life. 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the intricacies of premature ejaculation, exploring its causes, treatments, and coping strategies, providing valuable insights for both individuals and couples dealing with this concern.

What is premature ejaculation?

Understanding premature ejaculation goes beyond its mere definition. PE occurs when a man reaches climax sooner than he or his partner desires during sexual activity. While it’s a prevalent issue, the perception of what constitutes “premature” can vary widely among individuals. 

Premature ejaculation can have a significant impact on an individual’s sexual confidence, self-esteem, and intimate relationships. Seeking professional help, open communication with a partner, and exploring various treatment options, including behavioral techniques, counseling, and medications, can help manage and improve this condition for a more satisfying sexual experience.

What causes premature ejaculation?

The frustrating question of what causes premature ejaculation is one that crosses the minds of many men. There can be many different factors that cause PE: youth, psychological issues, health issues, etc. It isn’t always easy to pinpoint what exactly causes these issues in a man but, hopefully, after researching the information we’ve compiled, you’ll have a better idea of the causes of PE that affect you.

There are many different factors to consider when trying to figure out what is responsible for PE in you or your partner. We’ll discuss the most common causes on this page and try to give you some insight into this frustrating condition.

 

Psychological Causes:

• Anxiety Issues: When trying to determine the causes of premature ejaculation, many men discover that anxiety is the main cause. This is one of the most frequent reasons that men have ejaculation issues. Basically, you know you’re going to have sex and you’re anxious. You’re anxious because you want to make sure you satisfy your partner before you climax. This anxiety (while it comes from good intentions) is bad for your overall psyche and, ultimately, winds up causing PE issues for you. Your anxiety causes you to ejaculate quickly. This leads to more anxiety which leads to more issues. It can become a very frustrating and self-esteem damaging cycle. The good news is that you can overcome your anxiety issues related to sex. The bad news is that it takes some time. You need to reprogram your brain and body to slow down, overcome anxiety and enjoy sex. For some great information on dealing with anxiety, follow the link below.
• Guilt Issues: Guilt, like anxiety, is one of the most common issues regarding PE. Guilt works like anxiety in the same cycle: You have guilt due to the fact that you have PE issues which causes stress and anxiety which causes you to prematurely ejaculate. It is a cycle that must be broken. You need to address the guilt and learn how to take control of your issues.
• Level of Experience: Your level of sexual experience can be the main reason you’re having ejaculation issues. Men with less experience sexually have a tendency to have premature ejaculation issues. This cause is often found in younger men who haven’t necessarily had as much sex as someone who’s a little more mature. As a relatively sexually inexperienced individual, it is very common for you to get overly excited and come too quickly.
• Masturbation Techniques: Masturbation technique often leads to PE problems. Basically, if you’re climaxing quickly when pleasing yourself, you’re going to have a hard time lasting for a decent amount of time with your partner. Fortunately for you, this is an easy issue to deal with. All you really need to do is start increasing the amount of time that you masturbate. If you bring yourself to climax in a minute, go for two minutes. Once you’ve got that down, try for four minutes. You can really learn a lot about your sexual triggers by practicing masturbation techniques. These exercises will allow you to see tremendous gains in the bedroom fairly quickly.
• Issues in the Relationship: Are you fighting with your spouse? Are you having arguments that are affecting you relationship? If so, this tension could be causing sexual problems in your relationship. When you’re fighting with your girlfriend, wife, partner, etc, emotions, tensions and stress levels are all elevated. This leads to anxiety and unhappiness in the bedroom. If you’re having relationship difficulties right now then this situation may seem familiar to you: you fight, you “make-up,” you have sex. However, you know that the “make-up” is only temporary so you are still highly stressed and anxious when you have sex. This prevents you from relaxing and causes you to prematurely ejaculate.

 

Physiological Triggers:

• Inherited Genes: Did you know that your inherited genes can cause premature ejaculation? It’s true! Many men who suffer from PE find out that their fathers also suffered from this same condition. Scientists theorize the following scenario: It is believed that 1000s of years ago, cavemen developed a premature ejaculation response that helped them to survive. The theory is that the caveman who was able to ejaculate the quickest was the one who was most likely to survive thanks to a high number of children. According to scientists, sex in these times was more about survival then pleasure. The main goal of sex was to conceive as opposed to enjoy pleasure. Whether or not you believe this theory is up to you. The good news is that you don’t have to let genetics control your sex life. Follow the link below to get a grip on your premature ejaculation issues.
• Erectile Dysfunction (ED): Many men don’t know this but, oftentimes, erectile dysfunction can cause PE. If you’ve been awake at any point during the last 15 years, you are familiar with erectile dysfunciton (ED). We are bombarded with commercial after commercial regarding this subject. ED causes PE because of anxiety and a lack of confidence. These emotions are related to ED and can be directly related to PE. Essentially, a man with ED starts the act of having sex but he is so concerned about maintaining his erection that he rushes through the act which results in climaxing quickly.
• Problems with the Thyroid: PE and thyroid issues haven’t been studied until recently. Then, in 2006, doctors published a study that examined the relationship between thyroid issues (hyper and hypothyroid) and premature ejaculation. What they found was that men with hypothyroid problems had a very low occurrence of ejaculation issues. However, of the men with hyperthyroid issues, 50% admitted that they had experienced early ejaculation problems in their lives. If you think that your thyroid is the cause of your PE problems, you should consult your doctor.
• Hormone Issues: Sometimes, hormone issues can cause PE and sexual problems. As you get older, the levels of testosterone your body produces drops which can have a negative effect on your stamina. Lower levels of DHEA and testosterone have been shown to be one of the main physiological culprits regarding premature ejaculation. If you think that hormone deficiencies are causing you ejaculation problems, I would suggest you talk to your doctor. There are many testosterone supplements available and your doctor would have the best idea of the one that would work best for you.

 

Generally speaking, these are the most common problems regarding PE. Understanding how these issues affect you and lead to your PE condition is critical to solving the problem.

How to treat premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common concern among individuals, and there are several approaches that can help address and manage it effectively. Here are some strategies and techniques that may assist in treating premature ejaculation:

1. Behavioral Techniques:

• The Stop-Start Technique: During sexual activity, stop stimulation before reaching climax, then start again. This helps in gaining better control over ejaculation.
• The Squeeze Technique: When you feel ejaculation is imminent, have your partner gently squeeze the end of your penis for a few seconds until the urge to ejaculate subsides.

2. Pelvic Floor Exercises (Kegels): Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles can aid in controlling ejaculation. Kegel exercises involve contracting and relaxing the muscles used to control urination.

Premature ejaculation (PE) canalso be treated with medication in certain cases. Here are some medications that healthcare professionals might prescribe:

3. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Some antidepressants, such as sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), or paroxetine (Paxil), are sometimes prescribed off-label to help delay ejaculation. SSRIs can increase the time it takes to reach ejaculation by affecting serotonin levels in the brain. However, they are not specifically approved by regulatory agencies for treating PE, and their use for this purpose is off-label.
4. Topical Anesthetics: Creams, gels, or sprays containing numbing agents like lidocaine or prilocaine can be applied to the penis to reduce sensitivity and delay ejaculation. They work by temporarily numbing the area and can be applied shortly before intercourse.
5. Tramadol: This opioid pain reliever has shown some potential in delaying ejaculation. It affects neurotransmitters in the brain, potentially prolonging the time before ejaculation.
6. Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors (PDE5Is): Medications like sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), or vardenafil (Levitra) are primarily used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). While their primary purpose is not to treat premature ejaculation, some studies have suggested that they may have a positive impact on ejaculatory control.

It’s crucial to note that medications may have side effects and interactions with other drugs, and their effectiveness can vary from person to person. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any medication for premature ejaculation. Moreover, medications should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan that might include behavioral techniques, therapy, or lifestyle adjustments for more effective and holistic management of PE.

It’s essential to understand that premature ejaculation is common and treatable. Different methods work for different individuals, so it might take some experimentation and patience to find the most effective approach for you. Moreover, seeking professional guidance can offer personalized strategies suited to your specific situation and needs.

Premature ejaculation prevention: how to prevent premature ejaculation?

You know all about this condition and what it entails, but how do you stop it?  Over the centuries – yes, you heard that right, centuries – men around the world have invented ways to stop PE in its tracks, with very little success. Today men are having more success thanks to science. Here are some ways to prevent premature ejaculation naturally and effectively.

 

Condoms

One well known method for preventing early ejaculation is to use a condom. Condoms are good for safe sex, preventing pregnancies and STD’s, and they have the added benefit of reducing the sensitivity of your penis during intercourse, which is a good way to prevent premature ejaculation.

 

Masturbating

Another simple but effective method of preventing early ejaculation is by masturbating an hour or two before you have sex. This makes is more difficult to reach climax the subsequent time, thereby helping you to prevent early ejaculation. If you combine these two methods several techniques you may be able to last even longer in bed.

 

Change methods

The easiest way to stop premature ejaculation is by changing methods. If you feel yourself ready to climax during intercourse, stop intercourse immediately and employ either of these three tactics:

• Use circular, slower motions instead. You can stop climax by changing up those strokes. Instead of using constant strokes, use circular, slower strokes instead. This focuses the attention from your glans (the tip of your penis) to your entire penis, which is less stimulating.
• Change positions. Ask your partner to change positions. The different angle stops the current stimulation to the penis and ‘confuses’ it.
• Pull on it. You can manually stop climax by manipulating your penis. When you feel yourself reaching climax, pull out of your partner and squeeze down on your scrotum.  The scrotum tightens and raises when anticipating climax, to warm up the fishes before they head upstream, so to speak. By pulling down on it, it stops that process from happening.

Overcoming premature ejaculation problems can take time and practice. It is important to be sincere with your partner and talk about your emotions. Sharing trust and compassion will help in solving the problems and promote closeness. If you notice that your premature ejaculation concerns are not improving, keep in mind that assistance is on hand from skilled sexual therapists.

Conclusion

Premature ejaculation is a common concern affecting many men worldwide. By understanding the causes and exploring various management strategies, individuals can take proactive steps to address this issue and improve their sexual well-being. Seeking professional guidance and adopting a holistic approach to address both psychological and physiological aspects can significantly contribute to managing premature ejaculation.