It’s the worst nightmare for most guys: you finally get your crush into the bedroom, things are getting hot and heavy, and then… it’s over. Reaching an orgasm too quickly is known as premature ejaculation and it can be ego crushing for men.
What’s more, if a guy finds that things are ending sooner than he expected during sex, it may create a vicious cycle of worry, stress, and anxiety. Relationships can also be placed under strain because of premature ejaculation.
Let’s explore the causes of premature ejaculation, symptoms to watch out for, and how to stop premature ejaculation with sexual exercise techniques, medications, or counseling.
- What is Premature Ejaculation?
- What Causes Premature Ejaculation?
- What Are the Symptoms of Premature Ejaculation?
- How to Stop Premature Ejaculation – Treatment Options
What is Premature Ejaculation?
It’s pretty straight forward, but if you want to know what is premature ejaculation, it can be summed up as climaxing or ejaculating too quickly.
Sure, how long you can have sex is going to vary from session to session, and while there is no universal time limit, it’s safe to say that several seconds to one minute is too fast.
If your goal is to reach orgasm (the whole reason you have sex), then what’s the big deal about coming too soon? Well, sex takes two people.
You may have gotten what you came for (an orgasm), but your partner may be left high and dry. The last thing you want is to be known as the minute man who doesn’t reciprocate…
What Causes Premature Ejaculation?
Wondering what causes premature ejaculation? There are a number of potential causes of premature ejaculation that range from lifestyle choices to hormones. Here are the most commonly reported causes of premature ejaculation:
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- Hormones
Did you know that the hormone serotonin is directly correlated with ejaculation? Studies show that men who have lower levels of serotonin tend to suffer from premature ejaculation, which may fuel depression, another common correlation with premature ejaculation.
Thankfully, there are a number of medications that can safely increase serotonin and reduce the chances of premature ejaculation.
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- Psychological Factors
Guys who are experiencing heightened levels of stress or emotional distress may experience premature ejaculation.
Studies show that men who have been diagnosed with depression have a higher risk of suffering from premature ejaculation. Counseling is an excellent non-medication choice to alleviating the worries and symptoms of premature ejaculation.
If the condition is severe enough, a counselor may recommend medications for premature ejaculation.
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- Performance Anxiety
In an unfortunate vicious cycle, premature ejaculation may be caused and promote performance anxiety or nervousness about what will happen in the bedroom.
Guys who get nervous about their performance and climaxing too soon may do just that, which only fuels the initial performance anxiety. Again, counseling is a great way to overcome this.
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- Erectile Dysfunction
Studies show that sometimes the prevalence of erectile dysfunction is to blame for guys who also suffer from premature ejaculation.
Thankfully, by alleviating symptoms related to erectile dysfunction with lifestyle changes and medication, you may stop your issues with premature ejaculation.
What Are the Symptoms of Premature Ejaculation?
The primary symptom of premature ejaculation is reaching climax too quickly – usually a minute or less. If this happens once in a while, especially after a long period of abstinence, this is no big deal.
But if you find that this is something that happens more often than not, then you may be suffering from premature ejaculation. But how can you know for sure?
The best way to determine if you are dealing with premature ejaculation is to go chat with your doctor. We highly recommend talking with you doctor if you are emotionally suffering from premature ejaculation or if it is impacting the relationship with your significant other.
Your doctor may recommend medication or a more natural form of premature ejaculation treatment such as sexual exercises or counseling.
Your doctor will review a series of questions with you and a physical examination will also be done. This usually involves a gentle examination of the penis and testicles. A prostate exam may also be necessary. Blood tests and urine samples may be requested, but not always.
How to Stop Premature Ejaculation – Treatment Options
No guy wants to go through the stress and frustration of reaching orgasm too quickly. In order to stop premature ejaculation, we recommend the following techniques, medicines, and counseling.
Techniques
If you want to know how to prevent premature ejaculation, it’s all about your technique. Thankfully, these techniques are also natural home remedies for premature ejaculation; no medicine required.
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- Wear a Condom
Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of them, condoms do desensitize the penis to some extent, even the supposed “thin” brands.
By desensitizing the tip of your penis, you may find that it’s easier to hold yourself back from reaching orgasm, thereby doing away with the issue of premature ejaculation.
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- Start-and-Stop Technique
This method involves engaging in foreplay or intercourse, but paying close attention to the sensation of the sexual act. When you start to feel yourself getting close to orgasm, stop and allow your body to calm down for about 30 to 60 seconds.
Once you have come down from the excitement, begin foreplay or intercourse again. Just like before, stop once you feel yourself nearing orgasm. Do this start-and-stop technique for at least four or five times.
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- Squeeze It
Similar to the technique above, begin having sex or engaging in foreplay. When you feel yourself getting close to orgasm, immediately squeeze the head of your penis with a gentle grip for about 20 seconds.
Once you feel yourself come back down and get further away from orgasm, you can begin having sex again. Try to repeat this method several times.
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- Kegel Exercises
By strengthening your pelvic floor muscles, you may be able to overcome premature ejaculation. Kegels involve squeezing and strengthening the same muscles that you use to stop your urine in midstream.
Focus on squeezing them for five seconds then releasing. Do this throughout the day. We recommend no less than 15 times. For example, five sets in the morning, another five in the afternoon, and the final five at night.
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- Prostate Massage
Although you might be a bit hesitant, the prostate massage for premature ejaculation may be an incredibly useful method.
Also known as milking the prostate, a prostate massage is done via the rectum, placing a lubricated finger inside and gently putting pressure on your prostate until ejaculate is released.
There are also products and devices you can use to achieve the same results without having to do it yourself. Some doctors or massage clinics also offer this service, but be cautious when choosing.
Medicines
There are a number of premature ejaculation pills that may help you to last longer in the bedroom.
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- Numbing Cream
While it’s not a medication, numbing cream is something you can purchase at your local store or online. As the name implies, it will numb or desensitize the tip of your penis, helping you last longer in bed.
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- Antidepressants
Since men who have been diagnosed with depression tend to also suffer from premature ejaculation, it should come as no surprise that antidepressants can help to alleviate both conditions.
Antidepressants may help to alleviate premature ejaculation in two key ways: first, one of the side effects of the medication is delayed ejaculation, which is exactly what you’re looking for.
Second, by increasing the level of the hormone serotonin with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), you should be able to last longer in the bedroom.
Common SSRIs or anti-depressants include paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), escitalopram (Lexapro), and sertraline (Zoloft).
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- Pain Killers (Analgesics)
Certain painkillers have been shown to have a very useful side effect: delayed ejaculation. Tramadol (Ultram) is one such pain killer that is often prescribed for guys going through severe premature ejaculation issues.
Be aware that these types of medications can host a number of side effects including sleepiness, dizziness, and nausea. Also, you cannot combine these types of painkillers with antidepressants.
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- Erectile Dysfunction Medication
Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors are used to treat erectile dysfunction, which may help with premature ejaculation.
As we mentioned above, erectile dysfunction could be the cause of your premature ejaculation so if you stop one, you stop the other. Common medications for erectile dysfunction include tadalafil (Cialis), sildenafil (Viagra), and orvardenafil (Levitra).
Again, these medications do pose the risk of their own side effects including headache and nausea.
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- Counselling
One of the best premature ejaculation treatments is counseling. If your premature ejaculation stems from emotional distress such as stress, anxiety, and frustration, then no medication or technique is going to help.
We highly recommend talking with a professional who can help you sort through your concerns and worries.
Conclusion
Premature ejaculation can trash a guy’s self-confidence much in the same way an insult does.
Worst of all, guys can find themselves in a vicious cycle of anxiety and stress that only promote the condition of premature ejaculation.
If you are currently suffering from chronic premature ejaculation, it’s time to do something about it.
Try taking the natural approach, using the sexual exercises we mention above. Start wearing condoms and using desensitizing cream of your penis. If the condition doesn’t improve after making these changes, talk with your doctor as medication or counseling may be needed.