The physical side to love in any relationship is very important. Just like the need to have food and water, intimacy is also a primal requirement in life. Most human beings have a need for intimacy for a healthy sexual life, which determines their overall well-being. If there are physical or psychological problems with a person’s sexuality, it can hamper their self-confidence and thus degrade the quality of their life. In such cases, a medical professional such as a urologist, gynaecologist or sexologist who is qualified doctors need to be consulted.
In the medical world, sex-enhancing drugs are known as aphrodisiacs. They are foods, drinks, or other things that stimulate sexual desire. Aphrodisiacs are commonplace, and they can be purchased in any standard pharmacy. However, what many people don’t know is that sex-enhancing drugs can send them far beyond their expectations and can lead to death as well. In recent times, the use of aphrodisiacs has become the rage.
Aphrodisiacs are substances that are said to increase sexual desires when consumed. It functions by increasing the sex drive, your performance in bed and increasing your sexual energy. Some people take it to save their marriages and others just take it prior to sex every time to show an increase in their sexual prowess. Unfortunately, people do not consider the safety of these drugs and consume the same without knowing their effects.
Liver & kidney damage
Aphrodisiacs have chemical substances that are dangerous to the body’s vital organs such as liver or kidney. Once damaged, these organs can be difficult to repair, and death may result. Other side effects of aphrodisiacs include stuffy nose, headaches, stomach pain, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhoea, memory problems, back pain, an inability to differentiate between the colours green and blue, loss of hearing, ringing in the ears, and dizziness.
Hypotension
A former NAFDAC Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii, notes that while aphrodisiacs truly intensify and prolong sexual performance because of increased blood flow to the genitals, they could also result in hypotension — that is a drop in blood pressure. When blood pressure drops, physicians say it is even more dangerous than hypertension, as it takes quite a lot of effort to restore it to a normal level.
Risks of stroke, infertility, etc.
Experts warn that if you love to use sex-enhancing drugs, you risk non-communicable diseases such as stroke, cancer, and liver cirrhosis. Other side effects include the development of fewer red blood cells (anaemia), which may ultimately result in dizziness, severe headaches and unconsciousness. Your prostate gland may also become enlarged, making it difficult for you to urinate. Regular use of aphrodisiacs may also lead to infertility, and you may be unable to father a child of your own.
Allergic reactions
Sometimes, users of aphrodisiacs may suffer allergic reactions such as irregular heartbeats, loss of vision, hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Loss of sex drive
Another frustrating thing about aphrodisiacs is that, in the long run, they do the exact opposite of what you want them to do! One of such is that they decrease your ability to get erection naturally; and even after prolonged use, your body gets used to it, such that it’s no longer effective. That’s the time people resort to higher dosages, which may lead to death!
Drug interactions
Sex-enhancing drugs may interact badly with other drugs you may be taking! And that’s why you don’t take any drug — including aphrodisiacs — without a doctor’s prescription. For instance, physicians warn that you may not take aphrodisiacs if you are using antibiotics, antifungals, high blood pressure drugs, drugs for prostate disorders, heart or blood pressure medications, hepatitis C medications, or HIV/AIDS medicines.
During sexual activity, if you become dizzy or nauseated, or have pain, numbness, or tingling in your chest, arms, neck, or jaw, stop and go see the doctor right away! The promise of an easy and quick fix through aggressive marketing may sound very good. However, you should remember that if something sounds too good to be true in most cases it is.
What you need to do is to consult a qualified medical practitioner who can give you the best treatment for your problem. Remember, in most cases, sexual problems are created with the help of media, marketing and false advertising such as in the case of penile enlargement (which plays on the fears that a man is small). This can then allow someone to buy into a hoax as they think they may have a problem when in actuality, they don’t.
