CBD oil and other CBD products can be surprisingly very helpful in reducing or eliminating incidents of erectile dysfunction. Cannabidiol, the compound better known as CBD, has recently become the newest super drug. While it's generally a good idea to be skeptical of health fads, there's some real evidence that CBD and other cannabinoids may have a number of benefits for men who experience greater number of incidents of erectile dysfunction. So how do you use CBD oil for erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction affects the majority of men at some point in their lives. Even so, it's still painful, potentially undermining men's self-confidence and impacting relationships. There is a whole range of solutions to this problem, from prescription drugs to over-the-counter herbal remedies. One treatment, however, is particularly suited to helping men reduce or eliminate incidents of erectile dysfunction.
Can CBD Help With Erectile Dysfunction?
CBD and other products from the cannabis plant closely resemble a whole range of compounds in the body called endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system was only truly isolated in the 90s and is therefore not fully understood. However, it appears that the endocannabinoid system has a number of functions, including regulating emotions like security, anxiety, and others. It is also involved in how pain is felt and transmitted, as well as immune response and inflammation.
Since cannabidiol CBD closely resembles compounds your body produces naturally, it can be used to exhibit similar effects. CBD has been shown to reduce inflammation, for example. There is also plenty of evidence for benefits for health conditions that cause erectile dysfunction.
How does CBD work on erectile dysfunction?
CBD has been reported to relieve certain symptoms that primarily cause erectile dysfunction, including:
Blood flow
We discussed how high blood pressure can lead to blood vessel damage and erectile dysfunction. It turns out that CBD has been shown to relax blood vessels. When blood vessels relax, there is more room for blood to flow and therefore lowers blood pressure.
Anxiety and stress
No one needs anxiety and stress in their sexual performance. Using CBD for erectile dysfunction can help you relax and enjoy sex by relieving anxiety in the same way as anxiety medication, but with fewer potential side effects. The relaxing feeling it produces can help break the cycle of performance anxiety and stress, so you can enjoy your sex life again.
Hormonal imbalance
The endocannabinoid system seems to have a role in keeping different parts of the body in balance. When hormones are out of balance, taking CBD may help bring them back to a healthy balance.
How to use CBD oil for erectile dysfunction?
There are different options if you decide to start using CBD products to enhance sexual activity. Some of them can take a bit of time to get started, so planning ahead may be necessary. Using a massage oil or lubricant will work faster than a food or supplement. Also be aware that you may need to try several different strains or vary the amount you use before you find the right combination.
Another aspect to consider is that fully legal CBD oil can often be labeled as hemp oil. However, there are also hemp oils that do not contain a significant amount of CBD. Cannabis-derived CBD products are legal in most places. Be aware of what you are buying and the rules in your area.
edible
You might find edible CBD in the form of the traditional brownie, or in gummies, or in one of a few different forms. Edibles are great if you're dealing with anxiety or stress as a cause of erectile dysfunction. Eating CBD usually means you have to wait a little longer for it to take effect. However, edibles generally produce a feeling of relaxation throughout the body.
Edibles are often stronger than other forms of CBD. It is also important to know that cannabis-derived CBD products may contain some amount of THC (less than 0.2% in Europe and 0.3% in the United States), which may have a stronger effect when taken as an edible.
Massage oil or personal lubricant
These options work the fastest with the most direct impact when using CBD to help erectile dysfunction. CBD topicals are typically used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, which makes them perfect for massage oils. In addition to making massage easier and more enjoyable, the CBD component also works actively to relax the muscles.
CBD lube can also be applied directly and with a similar idea of opening blood vessels to increase blood flow. It might be a good idea to try the CBD lube before the main event, so to speak. CBD products are known to reduce libido in women, which is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve.
Oil supplement
Similar to edibles, supplements can be used to relieve stress and anxiety so you feel more comfortable. Supplements are generally meant to be taken on a regular basis, rather than for a specific occasion. CBD oil taken in supplement form can reduce incidents of erectile dysfunction and positively impact your life in other aspects as well.
What is CBD?
As the name suggests, cannabidiol is derived from cannabis, the marijuana plant, or the related but entirely legal hemp plant. Unlike THC, which is the compound in cannabis that is generally considered a real “high,” CBD oil has a less dramatic effect on your mood, body, and body chemistry.
One thing to keep in mind is that until recently CBD oil was known to very few people and was lumped together with THC and marijuana. Due to their neglect, medical research on CBD oil and its effects, especially long-term effects, is generally lacking. Some scientific data supports the use of cannabis for health. However, most therapeutic uses of CBD oil are based on a whole host of compelling but less reliable reports.
The beneficial effects associated with CBD may be subtle and not immediately noticeable, as it is considered non-intoxicating. It can reduce stress and anxiety. It can also produce a slight feeling of comfort. To the extent that a chemical can really make you happier, that's what CBD does. It is often used as a treatment for anxiety and depression.
It also has a wider range of other effects. Most notably, it has been shown to improve certain types of epilepsy. Use as a pain medication is also quite common, as well as to reduce pain by reducing inflammation. The combination of treating pain, anxiety, and depression has also made it popular for drug addiction treatment, especially to combat the opioid epidemic.
Another reason it's popular for treating opioid addicts, as well as any other conditions it may treat, is that there don't seem to be any serious or long-term side effects to its use. This feature makes it particularly appealing, as it can replace or reduce the need for antidepressants, pain relievers, and epilepsy medications, all of which tend to have the potential for unpleasant side effects. Uses for CBD oil continue to be found. In particular, it has been used in topical products like creams and oils. These can relieve pain or be used to relieve other conditions, including erectile dysfunction. CBD edibles are also popular.
What are the causes of erectile dysfunction?
Blood flow
High blood pressure is one of the main physical causes of erectile dysfunction [4]. Over time, high blood pressure can damage the walls of blood vessels and cause them to harden. This damage, called atherosclerosis, restricts blood flow to the penis. It's the blood flowing into the penis that creates an erection in the first place, so less blood flow makes it more difficult to develop and maintain an erection. Low blood pressure creates a similar problem.
Anxiety
There is, of course, an important emotional and psychological component to sex. If some of these emotions are strongly negative, they can create anxiety that interferes and distracts from the positive sexual experience. You might feel anxious sharing such an intimate moment with another person. You may also worry about disappointing that partner, which is a very common form of performance anxiety.
These concerns can easily snowball, with an incident of erectile dysfunction leading to a heightened sense of anxiety. This leads to another incidence of erectile dysfunction, causing more anxiety, and so on. Feelings of anxiety can also impact your overall libido.
Stress
Similarly to anxiety, stress can also lead to incidents of erectile dysfunction. Strong negative emotions can usually lead to incidents of erectile dysfunction because there ends up being an association between stress and sex, which is not most people's idea of pleasure.
Stress also has direct physical consequences, as it is commonly cited as a cause of high blood pressure and therefore atherosclerosis.
Hormonal imbalance
Hormones are kind of like your body's messaging system, as hormones are used to signal the beginnings and endings of different processes in the body. Testosterone and estrogen are two well-known that are involved in sex, while cortisol and serotonin are others involved in regulating your mood. If these hormones are out of balance, messages can be garbled or lost altogether. This can directly lead to erectile dysfunction, as well as other problems when the hormonal message to get an erection is lost.
Hormones turn out to have a lot to do with how we feel and how our bodies act. Interestingly, products from the cannabis plant like CBD products seem to be particularly suitable for solving certain problems caused by different types of hormonal imbalances.
CBD Side Effects and Risk Factors
There don't seem to be any major side effects from using CBD products like CBD oil or CBD lube. As we have discussed, there is still a lot of research to be done on this topic. However, there are a few potential downsides that research has revealed so far.
Decreased libido
Some studies have shown that using CBD products actually reduces libido in women. This tended to be most often associated with heavier use of CBD products. This would indicate that when using CBD for erectile dysfunction, moderation is key.
CBD quality
Hemp-derived cannabis products have only just been fully legalized and other sources of CBD remain completely illegal in many states in the US if the THC level exceeds 0.3%.
However in Europe the maximum is 0.2%. CBD oils and other products have also exploded in popularity. All of this is overlooked by regulatory agencies, so there are no real standards for the manufacture or strength of CBD products. It can be difficult to accurately gauge the strength of some CBD oils, and therefore difficult to judge the effectiveness of CBD products.
Conclusion
CBD products offer some of the most appealing ways to reduce incidents of erectile dysfunction. By relieving stress and anxiety, as well as improving other health conditions, CBD can potentially improve men's libido and sexual performance. There's more to learn, but it's already clear that CBD is a great, low-risk option for helping ED.