Insurance

Steer Clear of Over-Priced Gap Insurance Providers

      Major insurers will generally give you a better deal on gap insurance than a car dealership. But watch for gaps in gap coverage.

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Enter Any Name And Brace Yourself

A new site makes learning the Truth as easy as typing in a Name and selecting a State. Do you know what can be found online about you with just a Name and State?

Insurance

Do Drivers Really Need Gap Insurance?

Gap insurance is worth it for drivers who are significantly upside-down on their car loan. That includes lessees and buyers with a small

Investing

7 Factors That Affect Your Life Insurance Quote

While age and gender have the most impact on your life insurance premiums, even your family medical history and hobbies can affect how much you pay.

Insurance

What You Need To Know About COBRA Health Insurance

We go through everything you need to know about COBRA so that you can decide if it's right for you.

Options & Futures

Brokers: Do You Want To Sell Stocks Or Insurance?

Know the difference between working as a broker or a

Bonds & Fixed Income

Cash Vs. Bonds: What to Pick in Times of Uncertainty

Learn about the benefits and drawbacks of holding cash versus investing in bonds to ensure you make the right decision about how to best safeguard your money.

Economics

Benefits of China Changing Its One Child Policy

China's one-child policy is changing, and investors are looking for ways to cash in. The reform might not have the effects that many anticipate, however.

Professionals

These ETFs Are the Most Popular with Advisors 

 These ETFs are popular among financial advisors. Here's why.

Fundamental Analysis

3 Types of Stock All Investors Want to Know About

These 3 types of stock are the ones financial advisory clients want to know about the most. It'll pay to be ready

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Top 10 Insurance Companies By The Metric

 

There are a number of ways to rank the size of insurance companies. Companies can be measured by their market capitalization (the value of the company on a stock exchange) or by using sales figures such as net premiums written in a year or how many policies were sold. (For more, see: Which insurance policies do I really need?)

Market CapitalizationInvestors can buy shares of publicly traded companies in the insurance industry. The largest insurance companies as of Q1 2014 by market capitalization on the world stock exchanges are:
Non-health Insurance Companies:

Company Name	Market Capitalization
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)	$308 billion
China Life Insurance (LFC)	$80 billion
Allianz (AZSEY)	$76.8 billion
American International Group (AIG)	$72.3 billion
Ping An of China (PNGAY)	$65.6 billion
MetLife (MET)	$59.4 billion
AXA (AXA)	$57.8 billion
AIA Group Hong Kong (AAIGF)	$54.4 billion
ING Groep (ING)	$54.4 billion
Zurich Insurance (ZURVY)	$45.4 Billion

Largest Insurance Companies by Sales and Product Line
It is useful to differentiate between the type of insurance, or line, that is being considered when considering the largest insurance companies. Using sales data is helpful as some of the largest insurance companies in the United States are not publicly traded and therefore their market value is not easily ascertained.
Property & Casualty
Property casualty insurers write policies covering property such as real estate, dwellings, cars and other vehicles. They also write policies dealing with liabilities that may be incurred by accident or negligence related to those properties to defray the cost of lawsuits or medical damages resulting from such incidents.
The top U.S. property casualty companies in 2013 by net premiums written (the amount of money that non-life policies can expect to receive over the life of the contract, less commissions and costs) are:

Company	Net Premiums Written
State Farm Group	$50.8 billion
Allstate Insurance Group (ALL)	$24.8 billion
Liberty Mutual	$21.5 billion
Berkshire Hathaway (includes GEICO)	$21.4 billion
Travelers Group (TRV)	$20.6 billion
American International Group (AIG)	$19.7 billion
Nationwide Group	$14.5 billion
Progressive Insurance Group (PGR)	$14.5 billion
Farmers Insurance Group	$14.1 billion
USAA Group	$10.7 billion

Life Insurance Companies
Life Insurance companies promise to pay out a lump sum benefit upon the death of the insured. Although actuarial science has created mortality tables to accurately estimate the future liability of policies to be paid, having financial strength ensures that these companies can meet all of their obligations while still earning a profit.
Life Insurance companies in the U.S. can be ranked by direct premium written (the amount of new policies written directly and not re-insured). For 2013:

Company	Total Direct Premium	Market Share
MetLife (MET)	$11.5 billion	7.98%
Northwestern Mutual	$9.4 billion	6.55%
Prudential of America (PRU)	$8.4 billion	5.79%
New York Life	$7.8 billion	5.42%
Lincoln National	$6.1 billion	4.27%
MassMutual	$5.1 billion	3.52%
John Hancock	$4.8 billion	3.37%
Aegon (AEG)	$4.1 billion	2.82%
State Farm	$4.0 billion	2.79%
Guardian Life Insurance Co.	$3.4 billion	2.34%

(Source: NAIC)

Health Insurance Companies
Health insurance companies provide policies to cover all or part of policyholder's health and medical costs. Policies may be purchased individually or through an employer. Technically, the United States government is the largest health insurance provider in America through the Medicare program, Social Security and with Medicaid administered by individual states. (For more, see: 5 Things You Need To Know About Obamacare.)
The largest non-government sponsored U.S. health insurance companies measured by total direct premium collected in 2007 was:

Company	Total Direct Premium	Market Share
United Healthcare (UNH)	$66.8 billion	11.70%
Wellpoint Group (WLP)	$55.7 billion	9.75%
Kaiser Permanente	$43.7 billion	7.66%
Humana (HUM)	$21.7 billion	3.81%
Aetna (AET)	$21.7 billion	3.81%
Health Care Service Corp	$14.9 billion	2.60%
American Family	$11.6 billion	2.04%
Highmark	$11.4 billion	2.01%
Blue Cross/Blue Shield	$9.8 billion	1.72%
Cigna (CI)	$9.6 billion	1.69%

(Source: NAIC. Caveat emptor: The sales data on health insurance companies is from 2007, the last year of available data. The Affordable Care Act (aka 'Obamacare') may have altered these standings.)

The Bottom Line
Ranking the largest insurance companies can be done in a number of ways. Shares of publicly traded companies can be bought to help build a well-diversified investment portfolio that has exposure to the financial and healthcare sectors. Identifying which types of insurance a company primarily deals with helps determine which firms are competitors and which really are not. Looking at sales figures, or premiums collected in a year, one can also see how public companies stack up against privately held or mutual companies which make up a large segment of the industry.

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Beware!!! The 5 Worst Cell Phones For Exposing People To Radiation Are???

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Top 5 Phones With The Highest Radiation

According to new research from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, certain cellphones may be exposing us to harmful levels of electromagnetic radiation.

Published in the Biochemical Journal, the study found that a single us of a specific cellphones for just 15 minutes can trigger brain cell changes associated with cancerous cell division.

Dr. John Bucher, Associate Director of the National Institutes of Health, National Toxicology Program, stated:

“As of now, with only 10-12 years exposure, and use increasing dramatically, there is a concern of increase in brain cancer, related to use.”

He also went on to add that children skull’s allow deeper penetration of radiation and could pose a greater risk. Below are the top 5 phones with the highest radiation.

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IMEI Awareness! Check your Smartphone's Originality

Its not easy for one to caught whether a phone he/she buying is original or not. May be its stolen if you're buying a second hand phone or may be its Korean. Many of my friends ask me about this and i used to help them. So in this article i want to help my blog readers so that they see no difficulty in buying any phone whether new or second hand. I will try to cover all of the brand phones. Do read this and spread this awareness.

As you know, Mobile Market is now filled with fake phones and many people selling phones as Original even with Branded tags. Besides this factor, there are replicas available in the market like Korean phones that looks similar to the original phone and there is quite hard for one to spot at the moment whether phone is original or a copy. So following are the ways to check your phone.

IMEI:-

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It is a 15 digits number and found on the box of your mobile phone. You can also find in by removing back cover and bettery, other way of finding IMEI is dial *#06# and your IMEI will pop up. You can also find your IMEI by going in settings->about phone->status.

Nexus 5 Users:-

If you're planning to buy Nexus 5 then before you buy, please check its imei and originality. After copying IMEI, go to link http://csmg.lgmobile.com:9002/csmg/b2c/client/auth_model_check2.jsp?esn=123456789123456 and replace your imei number at the end of the link in place of counting. After hitting enter, you will see Nexus 5 information. If this information matches its phone box then your mobile is original else not.

Samsung Galaxy Users:-

If you have Galaxy phone in your hand and you want to check its originality, dial *#0*# and you will be displayed with a menu which is called as General Test Mode. There, you can test your device's LCD, color test, touch test, sensors test, vibration test, camera test, sound test etc. If your device pass all of these tests then its a Samsung device. You can also dial *#7353# which will take you to Quick Test Menu.

You can further check Samsung's Secret Codes and their working HERE & HERE.

Spot Galaxy by Physical Looks

1) Screen is made of cheap glass material.

2) Screen is too far from the edge.

3) Screen is not as bright and vibrant as the original device.

4) Some of the sensors are not available.

5) Home button is not of the exact same size as that of genuine.

6) Samsung logo is not smoothed out and can be removed by rubbing.

7) Device's proportions is different than that of genuine product.

8) Gaps between parts like home, power and volume buttons are obvious.

9) Battery specifications are not the same.

Sony Users:-

If you want to test Genuine Product Verification for Sony then it's pretty easy. Go to Sony's official site for Product Verification HERE and enter your imei number to check your device's originality.

HTC Users:-

HTC users please proceed to this LINK to check your devices.

Best Way to Know Your Phone Better:-

Look at the 7th and 8th digit of your IMEI. These two digits will ensure your phone's quality.

• If 7th and 8th digits are 01 or 10, this indicates your cell phone is manufactured in Finland which is high quality.
• If 7th and 8th digits are 13, this indicates your cell phone is assembled in Azerbaijan which is too bad and also dangerous for health.
• If 7th and 8th digits are 02 or 20, this indicates your cell phone is assembled in Emirates which is very poor quality.
• If 7th and 8th digits are 03/30 or 04/40, this indicates your cell phone is made in China but its quality is good but not good as 00,01 or 10.
• If 7th and 8th digits are 05 or 50 this indicates your cell phone is manufactured either in Brazil or Finland or USA.
• If 7th and 8th digits are 06 or 60 this indicates your cell phone is manufactured either in Hong Kong or China or Mexico.
• If 7th and 8th digits are 08 or 80 this indicates your cell phone is manufactured in Germany which is fair quality.

Further, visit imei.info to get details about your mobile model by entering your imei number.

Share this awareness and help others!

Thanks :)

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Male Masturbation Side Effects – Myths and Truths about Getting Off

 

Masturbation has many benefits. It can help reduce anxiety and stress, ease the pain of a headache, and it’s great for prostate health. Men who have trouble falling asleep often find that masturbating can help them to drop off faster. Although frequent dry rubbing can be tough on the penis skin, treating the shaft and head with penis-specific vitamins and minerals can help to alleviate the effects of friction.

However, because of the multitude of warnings – whether accurate or not – about the potentially dangerous effects of masturbating, it is not uncommon for men to feel guilty about self-pleasuring or worry that it may cause irreversible harm. Most guys have been warned at one time or another about the following masturbation side effects – and it is safe to say that the vast majority of males have spent some time after the fact wondering if they were really true. But for any man who has wondered if his blurred vision is the result of too many adult movies, it’s time to learn the truth.
Common Beliefs about Masturbation – True or False?
• Hairy palms – Many a parent has tried to frighten their little boys away from experimenting down there with the notion that it causes hair to grow on the palms of the hands. This myth – that’s all it is – has been handed down for generations to scare kids away from touching themselves, which was believed to be a mortal sin by some religious groups.
• Hair loss – This notion may be a bit more believable than the idea of growing hair on the palms of the hands, and it may have a (very shaky) basis in fact. While it is true that frequent masturbation can raise levels of the hormone testosterone, and high levels of testosterone are believed to affect male pattern baldness, there is no proven link between jacking off and a receding hairline. In fact, if this were the case, almost all men would be bald, so it is probably not worth a great deal of concern.
• Blindness – This is another fiction handed down by tradition; there is simply no evidence that masturbating can cause a man to go blind.
• Decreased testosterone – In this case, while it may seem logical, the opposite is actually true. As mentioned above, masturbation can actually increase the amount of testosterone in the blood. On the other hand, frequent masturbation may result in a decreased sperm count, which can be easily resolved by abstaining for a few days.
• Acne – A connection between acne and masturbation seems quite logical; teenage boys who experience acne frequently see their first breakouts at about the same time they begin experimenting with self-stimulation. However, this connection is mainly a coincidence; there is no physiological link between breakouts and ejaculation.
• Penis sensation loss – Out of all of the common beliefs about masturbation, this can actually become a problem. Frequent masturbation can actually cause minor damage to the skin of the penis and is vaguely similar to the calluses that may develop on the hands and feet. In addition, it can lead to a deadening effect on the nerves that lie beneath the outer dermal tissue. However, this issue can be easily avoided by treating the penis skin with rejuvenating vitamins, minerals and moisturizers that speed healing and provide nerve tissue support.
The benefits of nutrient treatments on penis health
For men who want to make the most of penis sensation and the increase pleasures of masturbation and sex, a specially designed penis health formula (most health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil) containing vitamins, antioxidants and all-natural moisturizers may assist in improving the health of the penis skin. By maintaining the skin’s suppleness and natural smoothness and providing nutrients that are known to have a positive effect on nerve health, men of all ages can heighten the experience of masturbation and reduce the damaging effects of friction.

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Penis Disorders Symptoms

Introduction

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Treatment

The symptoms of a penile disorder are often easy to spot, because they frequently cause immediate discomfort or noticeable effects.  Minor abnormalities of the penis during erection are common.  However, anytime the following symptoms interfere with sexual activity or urination, they should be evaluated by a urologist.  These signs and symptoms could indicate other, more serious problems with the penis:

• General pain or painful erections
• A persistent erection that lasts from several hours to a few days
• Pain during sex
• A bent or curved erect penis
• A lump on the upper or lower side of the penis
• Inflammation of the skin on the penis head
• Inflammation of the mucosa on the foreskin
• Foul smell from the penis
• Swollen glans or foreskin
• Pain during foreskin retraction
• Abnormal discharge
• Bleeding
• Growths or sores on the penis
• The inability to get an erection

It's important to remember that problems with the penis can not only cause pain, but they can affect a man's sexual function and fertility. That's why it's important to seek medical help early, so that you and your doctor can diagnose and treat potential problems before they happen.  if you don't see your doctor, these problems will go untreated.  Keep reading about how to diagnose a penis disorder to learn more.

Introduction

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Treatment

Talking about the penis and men's sexual health in general can seem overwhelming at times.  But don't feel embarrassed about seeking help. Penis disorders are medical problems, and your doctor sees and treats medical problems every day.  Here are a few tips to get started on your way to diagnosis:
1. If you don't feel comfortable talking with your doctor about penis conditions, ask for a referral to a urologist-a doctor who specializes in sexual and urologic problems.
2. Ask your partner to join you at your doctor's appointment.  Many doctors say that penis disorders are easier to treat when both partners are involved.
3.  Remind yourself of why you need to seek help: your health and your quality of life are at stake.
The range of possible diagnoses for penis disorders includes relatively harmless causes like yeast infection, to more serious issues such as penile cancer.  Possible causes for penis disorders include:

• Balanitis - inflammation of the glans
• Balanoposthitis - inflammation of the foreskin
• Erectile dysfunction
• Penile cancer
• Peyronie's disease - the penis bends during an erection
• Priapism - a painful erection that does not go away

To identify possible causes for the symptoms you are experiencing, your doctor will first request your medical history and then complete a physical exam.  As part of the exam, the doctor will examine your penis, testicles, scrotum and groin, take your blood pressure, and check your reflexes. A blood sample may be taken to test for diabetes, cholesterol level, and other conditions associated with penile disorders.
It's helpful to bring a list of all the medications you take to keep your doctor informed.  Also, be sure to know when the symptoms first appeared and how long you've experienced them.  Tell your doctor about any surgery you've had and outline your alcohol use, smoking, and exercise frequency.  You doctor or urologist might ask:

• What are your sexual habits?
• Is there drainage from the penis?
• Do you experience painful urination?
• Do you experience painful sexual intercourse?

Regardless of the cause of any abnormality, treatment is available. Discuss your concerns with your doctor or urologist.  And keep reading to learn about how to treat penis disorders.

Penis disorders treatment
Treatment for any type of penile disorder depends upon the underlying cause. Pain can be treated once its cause has been identified.   This is why it's so important to see a doctor or urologist for a correct diagnosis.  We'll discuss some of the major causes and treatments of penile disorders.  This is by no means and exhaustive list and the information we present is not meant to take the place of professional medical consultation.  Please consult a certified medical doctor for a proper medical evaluation for any disorders of the penis.
Erectile dysfunction - Your doctor can offer several new treatments for erectile dysfunction. For many men, the answer is as simple as taking a pill. Getting more exercise, losing weight or stopping smoking may also help.  Other possible treatments for ED include counselling, a penile implant, injections or a vacuum device.
Infections and skin reactions - Antibiotics, antiviral medications, or other antimicrobials may be prescribed for infections. In rare cases circumcision is advised for chronic infection under the foreskin. Proper cleaning of the penis can help prevent future bouts of infection. Please be advised to avoid strong soaps or chemicals, especially those known to cause a skin reaction.
Penile cancer - The most common treatment for penile cancer is surgery to remove cancerous cells.  Radiation and chemotherapy are other treatment options.
Peyronie's Disease - The hard lump that is at the center of Peyronie's disease often shrinks or disappears on its own without treatment.  Most doctors suggest waiting one to two years or longer before attempting to correct it with surgery, which is another treatment option.
Priapism -  To treat priapism, a urinary catheter may be inserted to relieve immediate urine retention.  The goal of treatment is to relieve the erection and preserve penile function. Medications or surgical procedures will be discussed with you if they are necessary.   It is important that you treat any underlying medical condition or substance abuse problem in order to prevent priapism in the future.
Your doctor can offer a number of treatments for penile disorders, based on the cause of your symptoms.  Be sure to visit your doctor or urologist early in order to prevent problems later.

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3 Subtle Signs You’re Having a Heart Attack

By now, you’ve seen enough heart attack scenes that you could spot one from a mile away: There’s the gasping for air, the clasping of hands over the chest, and pain so severe the victim collapses to the floor.
It’s time to change that picture: This Hollywood-style heart attack isn’t so classic at all. In a study of nearly 900 heart attack patients, 65 percent experienced a slow onset of symptoms, according to researchers at Trinity College in Ireland. These included chest and left arm discomfort, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Only 35 percent suffered movie-worthy signs.

Problem is, the subtler signals of ticker trouble may postpone treatment, since it takes longer to realize what’s happening. In the study, patients who experienced slow-onset symptoms received medical treatment within 3.5 hours compared to 2 hours, on average, for those who exhibited more dramatic signals.
“When you suffer a heart attack, it’s most likely due to the abrupt closure of an artery and the heart muscle dies over the next 3 to 6 hours unless the artery is opened by an angioplasty or clot-busting medication,” says Men’s Health cardiology advisor Prediman K. Shah, M.D. “We have a saying that time is muscle and even a 90-minute delay could be disastrous.”

If you think your ticker is in danger, your first call should be to 911. But to help save your heart, pop an uncoated (321 milligrams) aspirin. “Chewing gets the aspirin to work faster than swallowing,” Dr. Shah says. “The medicine reduces the amount of blood clot forming in the heart artery.” (For many more ticker-protecting tips, check out 100 Ways to Save Your Heart!)

And avoid disaster by watching out for these heart attack cues that could fly under the radar:

You clam up. Your body perceives a heart attack as an acute stressor, which stimulates the fight-or-flight response and causes you to break out into a cold sweat. It can be difficult to distinguish heart attack clamming from the pre-presentation sweats, but if you have no reason to be sweating up a storm, it could be a red flag

You feel nauseous. Due to a parasympathetic nervous system in overdrive, nausea and vomiting can come on suddenly if a heart attack is imminent. The key here is that the signs come on suddenly—seemingly out of nowhere.

You have heartburn. During a heart attack, reduced blood flow to your arteries can simulate heartburn-like symptoms such as burning in the chest or throat and difficulty swallowing. It may look a lot like classic heartburn, but if it happens for the first time and you have risk factors for heart disease as well as nausea, weakness, or sweating, you could be having a heart attack.
Heart disease kills more Americans than cancer or obesity, so it's time to separate fact from fiction. Here are the 5 Heart-Health Myths You Need to Stop Believing—Today!

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The Vitamin You Need So Your Penis Can Perform

 

Lacking enough of the sunshine vitamin might snuff out the lights on your bedroom game.  New research from Italy suggests that low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk of erectile dysfunction.
When researchers tested 143 men with varying degrees of erectile dysfunction, they found that nearly half of them were coming up deficient in D, and only one in five had optimal levels of the nutrient. What’s more, men with severe cases of ED had vitamin D levels that were about 24 percent lower than those of men with mild forms of the condition.

Insufficient levels of D may spur the production of free radicals called superoxide ions, according to study author Alessandra Barassi, M.D., and her research team. These free radicals deplete your nitric oxide, a molecule that helps your blood vessels function properly. The result: It makes it hard to, well, get hard.
“Nitric oxide causes the blood vessels to relax, which increases the blood flow and causes an erection under normal circumstances,” says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., a Men’s Health urology advisor.  Without the necessary amounts of nitric acid, though, your blood vessels may not relax enough to allow for an erection.
If you suffer from ED, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels. For ED patients with low levels, the study recommends taking supplements to get back to the optimal level of 30 ng/mL or above.
As for men with normal erectile functioning, Dr. Barassi says she’s currently studying whether vitamin D supplementation may act as a preventive measure to delay ED.

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8 Ways to Protect Your Erection

For as much pride as you take in your penis, you sure go to great For as much pride as you take in your penis, you sure go to great lengths to screw it up.
“A lot of guys know their lifestyle is harming their health, but it isn’t until it begins to affect their sex life that they start to listen,” says Charles Walker, M.D., assistant professor of urology and cofounder of the Cardiovascular and Sexual Health clinic at Yale University. Low testosterone, a shoddy sex drive, and trouble getting the plane off the ground are all caused by high-risk behaviors that at some point become irreversible and turn into full-blown erectile dysfunction (ED), Dr. Walker says.

1. Clean your medicine cabinet.  
Certain antidepressants, some blood pressure medications, and even the popular hair-growth drug Propecia all list erection problems as potential side effects. But the most surprising culprit may be your allergy or cold medicine. “The mechanism behind an erection is the exact opposite of having an adrenaline rush, and Sudafed acts very similar to epinephrine—the adrenaline hormone—killing any ability to get aroused,” says Harry Fisch, M.D., clinical professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, and author of Size Matters. Read labels for any side effects, and stick to Sudafed-free prescriptions.

2. Leave your work at the office.   
“Work-related stress is a huge issue for sexual function,” says Dr. Walker. “I see a lot of guys in their 40s and 50s who are highly successful but in high-stress jobs, and a lot of them have ED.” How come? Men with demanding jobs have a hard time leaving work at the office, which means their anxiety is in high gear for most of the day—keeping them from ever reaching full-throttle in the bedroom.
Plus, when you’re a workaholic, sleep and exercise—two big contributors to ED—tend to take a backseat. Knowing when to turn it off can help you get it up, Dr. Walker reassures. “Don’t work when you get home, don’t work on vacation, and incorporate more stress-relieving activities like exercise,” he advises.
3. Hit the sack at a reasonable hour.   
Scoring more sleep is always important, but even a few late nights can stifle your stiffy: Researchers from the University of Chicago found that sleeping 5 hours or less tanked testosterone levels of young, healthy guys by 10 percent after only a few days. “Sleep affects free testosterone, the part that isn’t bound by proteins and is free to do what your body needs it to do, including support your libido and sexual function,” Dr. Walker explains.
Plus, the balance of brain hormones that have an effect on your erection—like dopamine and serotonin—are regulated by sleep. Solid shuteye is most important in younger guys, for whom low T plays a larger part in their ability to get it up, Dr. Walker adds. Aim for at least 6 hours a night, but 7 or 8 is ideal.
4. Brush up. 
A 2012 Turkish study found that men with ED are three times more likely to have gum disease than guys without penis problems. And the odds go up the worse your impotence: The British Dental Health Foundation reports that 4 out of 5 men with severe erectile dysfunction also had gum disease. What does your mouth have to do with it? As your teeth decay, your immune system attacks pathogens in your mouth. The bacteria then seep into your bloodstream, damaging blood vessels and blood flow, the researchers explain. Luckily, regular flossing and brushing (twice a day!) can help more than just your gums.
RELATED VIDEO:

5. Keep the booze under control.  
Knocking back a few beers may calm your nerves enough to talk to the cute girl at the bar, but it might ruin the ending you had planned: A University of Washington study found that drunk dudes put more effort into getting it up and still saw softer results than sober seducers. Even if you don’t have problems performing now, heavy drinking can impair your sexual performance down the road, according to a 2013 study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, which found reformed alcoholics were more likely to have ED than their clean counterparts. Plus, alcohol is a depressant, so you’re not only less likely to get aroused, but also more exhausted—probably too tired to put in the effort, says Fisch. Fortunately, you just need to dial back on your nightly intake: Most performance problems are linked with heavy alcohol use, so cut yourself off after two drinks.
6. Fire your mistress.  
You know that crushing guilt you feel when you’ve been unfaithful? Eventually, the guilt will turn to anxiety, and anxiety produces chemical changes in the brain that attack your ability to have an erection, says Dr. Walker. High levels of anxiety turn your sympathetic nervous system on overdrive, putting you in a prolonged state of fight or flight, meaning it’s hard to even calm down enough to get aroused. Anxiety also halts the release of the neurotransmitters in charge of stimulating an erection, he says.

7. Stop cradling your laptop. 

Laptops generate a tremendous amount of heat, and anything that warms the testicles too much can decrease your sperm count and testosterone levels, says Dr. Fisch. The cells in the testicles that produce your swimmers and hormones are heat-sensitive, which is why the scrotum is outside the body to start with. (Your balls function a few degrees below body temperature). Perching your PC over your junk can possibly affect T production, messing with your ability to get an erection, Dr. Fisch says.
8. Kick your nicotine addiction. 
“Everyone knows smoking is bad for your health, but most people don’t realize there is a direct relationship between cigarette smoking and ED,” says Dr. Walker. Doing it can damage the lining of your blood vessels, which affects the smooth muscle in your penis and inhibits blood from flowing in, he explains. How important is it to kick the habit? Men who gave up cigarettes for 8 weeks had thicker, more rigid erections and reached max arousal five times faster than their smoking friends who relapsed, according to a 2011 study in the British Journal of Urology International. These improvements were not seen, however, until after the men had ditched the nicotine patches, suggesting it’s not just smoking that can hurt your rock, but nicotine itself.

Tags: erectionpenissexual healtherectile dysfunction

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Checking the Male

 

1. What's the average speed of male ejaculation? 

A. 12 mph

 B. 28 mph
C. 63 mph
D. Mach 2

Answer: B. However, once sperm enter the vagina, they slow down like four lanes merging into one: It takes 5 minutes for them to travel the 6 inches to the cervix and can take up to 72 hours to reach an egg, says Mark Elliot, director of the Institute for Psychological and Sexual Health in Columbus, Ohio.

2. What's the average length of an erect penis?

A. 6.21 inches
B. 5.95 inches
C. 8.01 inches
D. 12.2 inches

Answer: A. Ninety percent of men measure between 5 and 7 inches when erect, while the mean size of a flaccid penis is 3.89 inches. If you insist on measuring yourself: Press the ruler--er, yardstick--against your pubic bone, just above your penis.

3. The slippery stuff you secrete post-foreplay, pre-ejaculation: What is it?

A. Semen that's been hanging around in your urethra since the last time you ejaculated
B. Semen that came a little early to the orgasm party
C. Your body's own personal lubrication system kicking into gear
D. Fluid sent to clear a safe path for the forthcoming semen

Answer: C and D. A small gland at the base of the penis produces preseminal fluid, which is secreted before ejaculation. This fluid not only helps the recreation and/or procreation that follows to go more smoothly, but also neutralizes any acidic urine hanging around in the urethra, where it could damage sperm. "Sperm don't do well in acidic fluid," says Jay Sandlow, M.D., director of andrology and male infertility at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The fluid can have some stray semen in it, and those guys are tenacious swimmers. So it's unwise to base your birth-control strategy on either pulling out or praying.

4. How long after sex can the "morning- after pill" prevent pregnancy?

A. Within 3 hours
B. Within 24 hours
C. Within 72 hours
D. Within 120 hours

Answer: D. While it's best to take the pills right after any excesses of passion, new studies indicate you have a few more days to get your gal pal to take the medication, according to Vanessa Cullins, M.D., vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Emergency contraceptives flood a woman's body with hormones to ensure that a pregnancy never occurs--either by blocking the sperm, flushing the uterus, or delaying or preventing ovulation, depending on where the woman is in her cycle.

5. How much ejaculate will a man produce in his lifetime?

A. 2 quarts
B. 8 pints
C. 14 gallons
D. 18 gallons
E. This is entirely too gross to contemplate

Answer: C. 14 gallons--enough to fill the gas tank of a 1993 Plymouth Duster or a Shop-Vac Ultra Pump Wet/Dry Vac.

6. Match the life span of a sperm to its location:

A. Inside a man's body
B. In a petri dish at the fertility clinic
C. On your hand, her underwear, the sheet
D. Inside a woman's body

Answer: A. 3., B. 2., C. 4., D. 1. Though you create thousands of new sperm a day, the entire sperm-making process takes close to 3 months. "Sperm start out as immature germ cells," says Dr. Sandlow. "Then the DNA is compacted as the cells become smaller and more mature. It takes a long time." Once your seed is cast, the life span varies: Under the right conditions--a sealed container warmed to 98.6øF at the clinic--sperm can last up to 24 hours. Sperm that have found their way onto your sheets or her panties aren't as lucky: "It would be tough to achieve a pregnancy with sperm that are just sitting on a surface somewhere," says Dr. Sandlow, though we don't recommend experimenting at home. If your soldiers happen to find their way inside a female, they have up to 96 hours to rendezvous at Checkpoint Charley, or their mission is terminated.
 6. Match the life span of a sperm to its location:

A. Inside a man's body
B. In a petri dish at the fertility clinic
C. On your hand, her underwear, the sheet
D. Inside a woman's body

Answer: A. 3., B. 2., C. 4., D. 1. Though you create thousands of new sperm a day, the entire sperm-making process takes close to 3 months. "Sperm start out as immature germ cells," says Dr. Sandlow. "Then the DNA is compacted as the cells become smaller and more mature. It takes a long time." Once your seed is cast, the life span varies: Under the right conditions--a sealed container warmed to 98.6øF at the clinic--sperm can last up to 24 hours. Sperm that have found their way onto your sheets or her panties aren't as lucky: "It would be tough to achieve a pregnancy with sperm that are just sitting on a surface somewhere," says Dr. Sandlow, though we don't recommend experimenting at home. If your soldiers happen to find their way inside a female, they have up to 96 hours to rendezvous at Checkpoint Charley, or their mission is terminated.

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