What Causes Premature Ejaculation? Find Out

What Causes Premature Ejaculation?
The exact cause of premature ejaculation is unknown, but it's often rooted in physical, psychological, or emotional issues. “A lot of it is psychological,” explains Kramer. “When working with a patient, I may ask, ‘Are you comfortable with your partner? Or do you feel anxious around your partner?’”

Anxiety, as well as other emotional and psychological factors such as stress or depression, can also contribute to premature ejaculation.

How Can Premature Ejaculation Be Treated?
Doctors often recommend counseling to treat premature ejaculation. That may include psychotherapy, as well as learning ways to communicate with your partner about sexual dysfunction.

Another effective strategy is to work with your partner or through masturbation to train your body to delay ejaculation, says Kramer. “You get to the point where you are going to ejaculate and then stop and think about sports or something else to cool down,” he explains. “This will help you train your body to master that response when you are with your partner.”

Other treatment options for premature ejaculation include medications used to treat depression, such as Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Prozac (fluoxetine), notes Kramer. Another option is to use numbing creams such as lidocaine or Emla ( lidocaine and prilocaine ) directly on the genitals to help control premature ejaculation.

These therapies may be used together in different combinations to treat premature ejaculation, and in turn improve your self-esteem and sex life.