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Infertility, Male

Infertility issues, which seemed so rare 20 years ago, are quite common these days. The most significant factor seems to be the desire couples have to start their families when they’re a little older, after they’ve established themselves in their careers. Clearly this affects a woman’s chances of reproducing, since fertility in women declines after age 35. And conception after age 45 is rather rare. Aside from trying to reproduce earlier in her life, there are some surprisingly simple steps a woman can take to increase her likelihood of becoming pregnant. It amazes me (although perhaps it should not) how little emphasis is placed on lifestyle issues and good nutrition by either gynecologists or infertility specialists. In all parts of the world, “wise women” have been using herbs for centuries to help their infertile daughters.

Impotence

The politically correct term for impotence these days is “erectile dysfunction,” or ED. Whatever you call it, the lesson we doctors were taught in medical school–that most cases of failure to get or maintain an erection are emotional–turned out to be dead wrong. We now know that ED has a physical cause about 85% of the time. Usually the problem is poor circulation and reduced blood flow to the penis, so that an erection cannot occur. Undeniably, the new prescription drug Viagra works well for many men. But it’s expensive, can have side effects, and may not be right for everyone. Over the years, several supplements and herbs have been used with good results. (In fact, one of these, yohimbine, can be so effective that it’s available only by prescription.) Let’s see how some of our WholeHealth Chicago recommendations can help.