8 Common Causes of Low Libido in Men (and How to Fix It)

Low libido in men often starts to develop as they get older. However, across all ages, approximately 20% to 25% of men in the United States deal with low libido.

Of course, there are many common causes of low libido in men. Many men feel that their low libido has come out of nowhere. However, knowing a little bit more about the common causes can help men understand why their libido has adjusted.

In some cases, understanding more about the cause of low libido can also help men to increase their libido if they so choose. Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about the most common causes of low libido in men and how to fix it!

What Is Low Libido?

Libido refers to the sex drive, or the desire to engage in sexual activity. Men with low libido may also have trouble performing in bed.

Causes of Low Libido in Men

Some causes of low libido in men are very temporary. Other causes are more permanent or require careful intervention to resolve.

Of course, fluctuations in libido are normal. On top of that, as men get older, their libido tends to decrease more and more.

1. Stress Can Decrease Your Libido

Stress is usually a temporary cause of low libido. In particular, stress leads to an increased prevalence of cortisol in the body. This cortisol can interfere with the free flow of blood throughout the body, including to the penis.

This can have two effects. First of all, it can directly decrease your libido.

However, it can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction in turn can decrease your libido even more.

Some people have chronic stress, so this is a chronic problem. However, for most people, the effects of stress on their libido are only temporary.

2. Depression Can Interfere With Your Sex Drive

Depression can also affect libido. People who are depressed feel less interested in activity of any kind, including sexual activity.

On top of that, some of the most common medications used to treat depression come with sexual side effects, including the reduction of libido.

3. Low Self-Esteem Can Affect Your Libido

Sometimes, low libido can be the result of psychological effects. Many people find that they are more interested in sex when they personally feel attractive. On the other hand, if someone suffers from low self-esteem, they are more likely to distance themselves from sexual activity.

Low self-esteem can also cause people to overestimate the probability that they will be rejected. Fear of rejection can also decrease their libido.

4. Alcohol and Drugs Can Interfere With Sexual Performance

Alcohol and drugs both place significant stress on the body. This can decrease the production of testosterone in the body. Lower testosterone turns around and lowers the libido as well.

Excessive use of alcohol can also lead to erectile dysfunction. As we have discussed, this can temporarily decrease libido as well.

5. Insufficient Sleep Can Cause a Low Libido

Insufficient sleep is another cause of temporarily low libido. Some people ask, "Why is my libido low?", only to discover that it is back the very next day. A good night's sleep can provide people with more energy and interest in life and sexual activity.

Sleep can potentially affect libido in many ways. For one thing, lack of sleep increases levels of cortisol in the body.

Lack of sleep may also lead to a decreased prevalence of dopamine in the body. That can make sexual activity less pleasurable and desirable, thus lowering the libido.

6. Some Medications Cause Low Libido

Many different kinds of medication can potentially lower libido. In particular, a medication that affects blood pressure can often lead to sexual dysfunction. Without the free flow of blood to the penis, a man can end up with temporary erectile dysfunction and a loss of libido.

In contrast, the right products can help increase libido and sexual performance.

7. Erectile Dysfunction Can Lead to a Low Libido

Some causes of erectile dysfunction are more permanent than taking medication or failing to get a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, erectile dysfunction can lead to a vicious cycle.

The more a man suffers from erectile dysfunction, the more he expects that he may not sexually perform. This expectation can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. On top of that, a man may develop a significant amount of anxiety around the possibility of erectile dysfunction.

This anxiety can actually cause erectile dysfunction even if it would not otherwise have occurred. After long enough, the libido may slow down so that a man is not driven into sexual situations that may lead to negative emotions.

8. Hormone Imbalances Can Affect Your Libido

Most people know that testosterone is linked to libido and sexual performance. It is less common for people to know that men also depend on a certain amount of estrogen to sexually perform. If that level of estrogen gets too high or too low, the result can be decreased sexual performance and low libido.

In some cases, this hormonal imbalance is the result of problems in the liver. The liver keeps estrogen levels from getting too high, so if it is not functioning correctly, the result can be loss of libido.

Understand the Most Common Causes of Low Libido in Men 

We hope learning about the causes of low libido in men has been helpful for you. Almost all men will struggle with low libido at some point in their life. Unfortunately, many men struggle with this problem quietly instead of studying more about the causes and potential solutions for low libido.

To learn more about potential causes of low libido in men or to speak with experts about products that can help resolve low libido, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!