Contents:
- Medical Video: 7 Ways to Bring The Spark Back In A Relationship
- Sexual satisfaction tripled with light therapy
- Increased testosterone also triggers an increase in sexual satisfaction
- Light therapy can also be done in women
- Further research
Medical Video: 7 Ways to Bring The Spark Back In A Relationship
During this time, many people associate sex with dim and dim lights. In fact, the results of a small study by scientists from the University of Siena in Italy found the opposite. It turns out that exposure to bright light can actually increase sex drive by increasing testosterone levels and greater sexual satisfaction, in men with low sexual desire. More than 25 percent of men claim to have low sexual desire when entering their 40s.
Sexual satisfaction tripled with light therapy
Scientists led by Professor Andrea Fagiolini, recruited 38 men who had been diagnosed as having hypoactive sexual desire disorders, a condition characterized by low interest in sex.
Participants were divided into two groups, namely group one received light exposure for 30 minutes from a special light box similar to a therapeutic device used in patients with disorders Seasonal Affective Disorder or seasonal depression every morning for 2 weeks. While the other groups, namely the control group, get far less emission. The researchers also assessed male testosterone levels and their sex interests before and after 2 weeks of exposure to light boxes.
As a result, compared to the control group, men who were exposed to intense exposure showed a significant increase in sexual satisfaction.
"Before therapy, the two groups had an average sexual satisfaction value of 2 out of 10, but after therapy, the group that was exposed to intensive light scored a value of sexual satisfaction at 6.3 this means there was a more than three-fold increase in the scale we use, "explained Prof. Fagiolini.
Increased testosterone also triggers an increase in sexual satisfaction
The researchers also said if an increase in testosterone levels in men who do light therapy intensively, increased sexual satisfaction. From these results, the researchers found that men who received active light intensity had increased testosterone levels for 2 weeks, from 2.3 nanograms per milliliter to 3.6 nanograms per milliliter. While the control group did not show changes in testosterone levels.
Prof. Fagiolini noted that among individuals living in the northern hemisphere, testosterone levels naturally decline from November to April, but experience increases during the spring and summer, in October.
Light therapy can also be done in women
He also said that light therapy can also help treat women with low sexual desire. In particular, he cited the importance of increasing Luteinizing Hormone (LH) by doing light therapy. The reason is, women who have LH deficiency will cause decreased sexual arousal.
"LH can also trigger ovulation in women," said Prof. Fagiolini.
Further research
Important notes from Prof. Fagiolini stated that more research is needed with more respondents in order to guarantee the mechanism of research related to this light therapy. Prof. Fagiolini and colleagues said that their pilot study showed that light therapy is worthy of being used as a non-pharmacological treatment for men who have low sexual desire.
"We are not at the stage where we can recommend this as clinical treatment. However, if this treatment works in larger studies, light therapy can offer an alternative way. This is a small study, so for now we need to treat it carefully, "said Prof. Fagiolini
