Having a higher sex drive can be an important part of relationships, balanced lifestyles and reproductive efforts. For many people, though, it can feel like that excitement and drive has diminished to a point that is impacting these areas of their lives negatively.
The good news is that this is neither uncommon nor is it an unsolvable mystery. Doctors, therapists and pharmacists see this regularly, so there is hope! To help you better understand your lower sex drive and what can be done to strengthen it, here is a guide about the way that hormones play an important role.
Hormones That Play a Role
One of the most important hormones involved in your sex drive is testosterone, regardless of whether you are male or female. Other hormones that can often play a role in sex drive include oxytocin, estrogen, insulin, cortisol and several others. All of your hormones play their own parts in how they impact your body, often having major roles in mood, mental health, physical health and more. Particularly once you reach new milestones in your life, it is normal for your hormones to behave differently. When you reach your 20s, for instance, it is normal for your testosterone levels to drop and your cortisol levels to raise, decreasing libido and increasing stress. Additionally, women go through many fluctuations in hormones with things like pregnancy, menstruation, menopause and more.
One of the most important part of hormone regulation is a healthy, functioning thyroid. Thyroid hormones are responsible for a whole range of things, including:
- Breathing
- Heart rate
- Temperature
- Digestion
- And more
Causes for Low Sex Drive
While low libido can be sparked by things like issues with communication or connection, exterior causes of stress or fatigue and other factors, the majority of cases are related to hormonal issues.
As mentioned before, there are numerous hormones that are linked to libido for both men and women. Because of this, there are also a number of combinations with these hormones that can cause low libido.
A major factor could be your cortisol levels. This is the hormone connected to stress and is often the root cause of any hormonal imbalance.
In the case of sex drive, it could be either that your cortisol levels are too high or even too low. Signs of it being imbalanced can include difficulty sleeping, skin conditions, unstable blood sugar, weight gain, feelings of burnout or feeling overwhelmed while running from task to task.
Similarly, it is also possible for your estrogen to be either too high or too low. This is particularly important with women since it is one of their key hormones in relation to sex and reproduction. Mood swings, bloating, abnormal periods, migraines, rapid weight gain and the appearance of cysts could be indicators that your estrogen is imbalanced.
Finally, there is also the distinct possibility that your testosterone levels are too high or too low. As mentioned earlier, this is a particularly important hormone when it comes to sex drive for both sexes.
Common signs that testosterone levels may be the issue include anxiety or depression, acne or greasy skin, struggles with fertility, loss of confidence and unusual hair growth.
Of course, there also always the possibility that you have issues related to your thyroid that could be the main cause of all of these things. Because of this, it is important to see a professional who can help spot the difference.
Regaining and Boosting Your Sex Drive
First of all, it is important to put aside the notion that a decrease in sex drive is just an inevitable part of aging or being in a monogamous relationship for too long.
Even if parts of the reason that your sex drive is suffering relate to busy lifestyles or problems introduced by growing older, that doesn’t mean it’s something that you have to live with or that it is something that makes you inherently broken or problematic.
While some things, like adding positive foods to your diet or avoiding unhealthy options, it can also be extremely beneficial to meet with a professional who can help figure out the unique factors of your situation better than any generic diet or article can.
Dr. Sarah Bennett, a naturopathic physician in Arizona who regularly helps patients with concerns surrounding sexual dysfunction of low libido, always assures their patients that their struggles are common and fixable:
“The biggest thing that people need to understand is that hormones are incredibly complex. It is amazing how hard our thyroid works to maintain balance throughout our body, and things like diet, external stress, substance use, hereditary factors and more can easily throw that balance off. Having an honest and thorough conversation with any physician who has background in this area could be invaluable to fixing your concerns, even if they go beyond just sex drive.”
Having healthily balanced hormones is often the root for pretty much any solution someone may need, be it sex drive, weight, mood or a number of other issues.
Figuring out which hormones are imbalanced and finding ways to get the levels back to where you want them can be monumental in putting your life back on track.
In Summary
Professionals really have this down to a science, and the good news is that it is fairly easy to get help if you find yourself suffering from a lower sex drive!
Whether this is impacting your relationship or other areas of your life negatively, understanding the root causes, knowing how hormones play a part and discovering how to regain your sex drive is all critical in getting yourself back on track!
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