Ask any guy about early ejaculation and he’ll tell you it’s just a part of being a guy. Premature ejaculation is the single most common form of sexual dysfunction in the world. Most

experts agree it’s something that happens to almost every man at least once in his adult life. It’s further estimated that as many as one-third of men in the world cope with premature or early ejaculation on a regular basis.

So most men don’t worry when they experience an episode of premature ejaculation. In fact, many men aren’t worried about it even if they find themselves experiencing it more often. While premature ejaculation is, in fact, usually nothing to be too concerned about, it doesn’t mean it should be ignored entirely.

Award winning columnist, Dr. Ciara Kelly recently used her column in the Irish Independent to warn men that ignoring premature ejaculation is definitely not a good idea. She points out that avoiding sex because of early ejaculation can lead to additional problems with sex and, ultimately, the relationship. But Dr. Kelly also points out that “there are lots of very effective non-medication and medication-based treatments, so no one needs to be out there struggling with this on their own.”

Non-medical options include sex therapy and changes in nutrition and fitness. Improving a man’s overall health means his muscle tone and circulation are both improved and these are the foundation to healthy sexual performance. Cleaning up a man’s diet and tweaking his exercise routine is often the first approach recommended by experts.

Sexual therapy offers a way for men to deal with the problem while maintaining a healthy and satisfying sex life. Many men masturbate more often, working on bringing themselves as close to orgasm as possible without actually climaxing. This practice, called edging, is often an effective treatment for building stamina.

This edging play can be carried into the bedroom by using numbing gels to temporarily reduce sensation for a man during sex. This will prevent him from becoming over-stimulated. Certain sexual positions can also reduce the chances of him climaxing too quickly. Changing positions often during sex is also a common technique men use to improve their stamina.

Medical options include the off-label use of medications originally developed to treat other conditions. Several anti-depressants are used for this approach. While effective, the use of medications brings with it a host of other side effects. In the case of anti-depressants, patients have reported digestive problems, headaches, feelings of depression and, ironically, a lack of interest in sex.

In most cases, though, the key to finding an effective treatment is in beginning treatment as quickly as possible. The longer a man deals with early ejaculation, the more intense the episode can become. It begins to feed into a cycle where the problem creates excess anxiety and stress which feed back in and exacerbate the condition. That makes it more difficult to treat and it also means there’s a greater chance that it has already led to other sexual performance problems such as a lowered libido or problems achieving and maintaining a healthy erection.

While the occasional episode of premature ejaculation remains nothing to panic about, it’s important to pay attention when it begins to happen more often. Even an occasional episode should be viewed with a critical eye to ensure that the common risk factors – physical fitness, stress levels and nutrition – are being properly handled. This can help to prevent future episodes and makes any necessary treatment more likely to be successful.