In another article called "What’s Got Your Libido Down? Is it Psychological?" I described psychological factors that may cause a lack of sex drive in a long-term relationship.
This time, let’s look at possible physical issues:
Alcohol. You may think having a few drinks before bed will put you in the mood. Alcohol does help lose inhibitions but it’s also a depressant, so things might not turn out the way you planned.
Another problem can be when one of you has had a few and the other one is sober. Big turn-off. Try laying off the booze before bed and see what happens.
Lack of Sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause a multitude of health issues, one being chronic fatigue. Who feels like having sex when they’re exhausted? Nobody. Motivate yourself to get more sleep to revive activity between the sheets.
If you’re getting eight hours and still feeling tired and listless, make an appointment with your doctor to rule out sleep apnea, insomnia, or other sleep-related conditions.
Check your Medication. Drugs taken for blood pressure, depression, cold or allergies, even birth control pills have side effects of low libido, and many more. If you think your medication is causing your sex drive to plummet, call your doctor and ask if the dosage can be cut down, or maybe there’s a possible alternative.
Unfortunately, medication can be a hugh libido killer, but do not go off them without your doctor’s permission.
Lighten up on body image. Have you or your spouse put on weight over the years? It happens to many people. Try an exercise routine together (they say exercise boosts sex drive) or help each other break bad eating habits.
The most important obstacle to get past is your own image of yourself. Love your body the way it is and your spouse can’t help but love it, too.
Menopause. Many women report a vanishing libido once menopause strikes, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Hormone imbalance can cause pyschological as well as physical problems. With issues such as mood swings, incontinence, hot flashes, obesity, and all around low self-image, who has time to think about sex?
The fact that they’ve come up with real names for these conditions: peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause doesn’t help much. The good news is these, too, shall pass in about 10 years, but HRT and alternative therapy are definite options to be considered.
Know what you’re eating. Believe it or not, mercury in certain types of fish, pesticides on fresh fruit, plastic water bottles, and other forms of toxic items you might be consuming without knowing it, can have an effect on your sex drive.
If you’ve ruled out all other problems for your sagging libido, have your doctor order some blood tests to make sure there’s nothing else lurking in your body that shouldn’t be there. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Sources:
WebMD - Sexual Conditions - Sex Drive Killers Slideshow. Web. 11, November, 2011
http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/ss/slideshow-sex-drive-killers?ecd=wnl_wmh_110911
ABC News - Health Video - 5 Libido Killers. Web. 11, November, 2011
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/5-libido-killers-13668703
Reviewed November 14, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith