By Stuart Young
Premature ejaculation is a condition which brings a lot of distress and tension in some men. At least one in five men experience the issue at some point in their life. Although it might not be a big deal when it happens infrequently, experiencing it on a consistent basis over an extended period of time makes it a medical condition.
Several factors can lead to premature ejaculation. Some of them include psychological problems like depression, stress, and mental and emotional issues. There are also the biological factors that can make certain men be at risk of premature ejaculation. In some rare cases, it can be caused by a physical condition like an inflamed prostate gland or a problem related to the spinal cord.
Symptoms of Premature Ejaculation
The common symptoms include:
• Ejaculating with little sexual stimulation and without control
• Feeling guilty, frustrated and embarrassed
• Experiencing reduced sexual pleasure due to poor ejaculation control
How it is Diagnosed
Diagnosis depends solely on symptoms. You need to tell the doctor everything, including your sexual history. If the history doesn’t reveal any emotional or mental factors involved, the doctor might need to run some tests. A prostate exam might be required, as well nervous system tests that are meant to determine whether there is a physical problem involved.
How Premature Ejaculation Can Be Treated
One of the many treatments that doctors recommend includes counselling. This treatment might involve psychotherapy and learning to communicate more effectively with your partner about the issue. You can also get encouraged to work with your partner on various techniques to train your body how to delay ejaculation. In such a case, you masturbate to a point where you are about to ejaculate and stop then direct your mind to something that is not sexually related. This way, you get to train your body to control premature ejaculation while with your partner.
Another approach is the behavioural therapy. With this approach, the squeeze technique is used. During intercourse, when the man gets sensations that he is going to ejaculate prematurely, he interrupts the act and squeezes his penis shaft between his thumb and two fingers. Light pressure is applied just under the head of the penis for around 20 seconds. Sexual relations then resume, and the technique can be repeated as necessary. It is meant to make a man learn how to control and delay his ejaculation without having to squeeze. Behavioral therapy tends to help 60%-90% of men with premature ejaculation condition.
There are also prescription medications that are meant to help delay ejaculation. Some drugs come with side effects that include delayed orgasm and are usually given to men with premature ejaculation. They usually delay orgasm for some minutes. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Examples include antidepressants like sertraline, paroxetine and fluoxetine. Even men who are not suffering from depression can benefit from these medicines.
It is also highly effective to use numbing creams like Emla Cream, which is applied directly to the penis to help prevent premature ejaculation. Emla Cream works by blocking the body’s nerve signals and is usually used to numb normal intact penis’ skin. These creams reduce stimulation during sex by partially anaesthetising the penis. This leads to delayed orgasm.
Another commonly used option is the use of one or more condoms. With a condom, the man will experience less stimulation, thus delayed orgasm. This can prevent premature ejaculation. However, the use of condoms can lead to reduced sexual pleasure between couples.
Sometimes, these therapies are used together to help control and treat premature ejaculation. This, in turn, leads to improved sex life and self-esteem.
Some of the men who suffer from premature ejaculation can also benefit from phosphodiesterase inhibitors drugs like sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis). Such inhibitors can either be used on their own or combined with an SSRI.
With the above treatments, it is possible for a man to treat premature ejaculation and enjoy a healthy, happy sex life.
EMLA never worked for me and my wife was always numb. I prefer Promescent spray I found it when researching other available options: https://www.promescent.com
When I went to go visit my urologist about the issue he firmly recommended I DO NOT use SSRI’s as the side effects out weigh the benefits. I’d agree with Anthony G. that a delay spray like Promescent or Shibari are preferable treatment options.
I agree that SSRI’s are probably not the right solution. I recommend using exercises to overcome premature ejaculation once and for all. There is an online app by the Between Us Clinic that teaches the exercises. I takes some time though so you can use a delay spray in the meantime.
Stress is a libido killer, I know by my own experience, I am a busy person and it gets me tired and stressed everyday when i get home the only thing i want to do it sleep and it has been affecting my marriage, I even thought I was not “man enough” to please my wife..she didnt complain but I know shes not happy, i looked for help and thats how I knew a bout how stress was having a huge impact in my marriage, I started to take things slow and i try to relax more, I also found a supplement to help me increase my libido, I can tell there is a big change (for better) in my marriage since I started with this “treatment” (lol this is how i call it )