Being in a romantic relationship could add a lot of color to your world, and joy knowing someone out there cares about you. Many components add up to spark the flames in a romantic relationship, and one of them is sex. If you and your partner are faced with sexual health problems, it may harm your relationship down the line and may ebb away at your emotional and physical connection. Here are some ways you and your partner can maintain a healthy sexual connection.
Eat right
You might have heard about how food influences your sex drive and sexual health. Well, it is true; certain foods are sex drive killers, while some others help fan the flames of sexual passion. Examples of foods that may harm your sex drive down the line if consumed in too high quantities include cheese, alcohol, diet soda, and fatty foods. These foods may depress libido and effect your sexual health via a range of mechanisms, including lowering serotonin levels, altering sex hormone levels, and impairing blood circulation.
To enjoy a strong sex drive, you may add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and cut out processed foods and those filled with lots of preservatives. Avocados, almonds, and pomegranate, for example, are rich in vitamin E and healthy fats, which may improve blood flow to the sex organs. Asparagus is also packed with lots of B-vitamins and vitamin K, which may protect the heart and reduce the risk for the development of type 2 diabetes, a common cause of erectile dysfunction.
Reduce stress
Stress is a great libido killer. It’s difficult to maintain a strong desire for sex when you’re stressed out. Dealing with work, responsibilities at home or problems in your relationship could be emotionally, mentally, and physically draining, and this may leave you with little or no appetite or energy for sexual activity.
Stress pushes the body into a fight-or-flight response, in which there’s a surge of stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine. When in high levels for a long time, these hormones can decrease your sex drive. If you feel stressed with work or your relationship, it may be helpful to discuss with your partner and find ways to alleviate the stress.
Some effective stress management techniques include mindfulness exercises, aromatherapy, yoga, and better sleep.
Deal with vaginal dryness
Vaginal dryness can make sexual activity uncomfortable, and often painful. It may also come with a burning sensation and itching in your vulva and vagina.. Vaginal dryness is a common problem women complain of, and it may be caused by several factors, including hormonal changes, such as after childbirth, perimenopause, menopause, vaginal infections, and use of medications, including anti-estrogen drugs and antidepressants.
Vaginal dryness triggers a vicious cycle: it makes sex uncomfortable and painful, which, in turn, causes avoidance of any more sexual activity. It is best to discuss this issue with your partner.
Although treatment for vaginal dryness depends on its cause, the most common treatment is vaginal moisturizers. These products form a moisturizing coat over the vaginal walls, ensuring that sexual activity is pleasurable and painless. You may also apply vaginal lubricants and moisturizers to enhance the ease of sexual activity. When selecting a personal lubricant and vaginal moisturizer be sure that it has been cleared by the US FDA.
Vaginal rejuvenation
Some problems with the vagina may impair sexual intercourse with your partner and may ultimately harm your sex drive. For instance, if you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, incontinence, or labial and vaginal injuries as a result of childbirth, your sexual function may be significantly impaired. Vaginal birth, vaginal surgeries, or trauma to the pelvic floor could affect your vaginal tone, making sex very uncomfortable. To correct this and restore your sexual health, you may consider a vaginal rejuvenation procedure.
Vaginal rejuvenation is aimed at improving the appearance, symmetry, and tone of the vagina, vulva, and other tissues in the genital area. The procedure is also aimed at improving the tightness of the vagina and the surrounding muscles to improve sexual function. Examples of these procedures include vaginoplasty, labiaplasty, and perineoplasty.
To augment these procedures and extend the potential benefits consider using a vaginal and vulvar moisturizer with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. FemmePharma’s Mia Vita™ Personal Lubricant & Moisturizer is FDA- cleared personal lubricant and moisturizer which uses ingredients naturally found in human body.
Maintain vulva and vaginal health
If your vulva and vagina aren’t kept healthy, you may not have a pleasurable sexual experience. Exposing your vagina and vulva to irritants and other harmful chemicals may leave you with so much discomfort and pain in your vagina and vulva. For instance, detergents and cosmetic products that contain perfumes, fragrances, and other toxic ingredients may irritate the vulvar skin, causing pain and discomfort during intercourse. Your clothing may also be the culprit: clothing material made of synthetic fabrics and spandex may trap heat and moisture in your vulva, causing inflammation.
To maintain good vulvar and vaginal health, wear cotton underwear with a cotton crotch. You may need to avoid nylon and other synthetic materials, which irritate the vulvar skin.
Maintaining a healthy libido in long-term relationships
Sex is an important part of long-term relationships, and it may trigger emotional and physical disconnection if a couple is having problems with sex. To maintain your sexual health and sexual desire and build a strong sexual relationship with your partner, you can try simple things like eating healthy, improving sleep, and maintaining good personal hygiene. It is important to continue to add the regular use of a vulvar and vaginal moisturizer.