In many pharmacies or on the Internet you can find a large number of natural remedies that promise to improve performance and increase sexual appetite in both men and women.

Many of these products come in oral form and others to be applied directly to the external genitals in the form of creams, lotions and ointments.

However, over 95 per cent of these natural products are not approved by health agencies such as the U.S. FDA or the Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Spain, so it is difficult to guarantee their safety and effectiveness.

Many home remedies that help "increase libido" can produce side effects, cause allergies, or interact with other medications. 

The general recommendation is to go to a qualified health care professional for him to indicate medications of reliable use. Self-medication is a practice that can seriously jeopardize a patient's health.

According to many centres of sexology and human sexual psychology, not all diseases can be cured with medicines or complex procedures such as surgeries, many of them, as the decrease of desire for sexual intimacy, can find a solution in small actions such as:

• Practice meditation. This will help to relax the body and calm the mind, which will be helpful in releasing tension and feeling more confident in one's abilities.
• Exercising will improve blood circulation, strengthen muscles and help the brain release tranquillizing substances, among many other positive effects.
• Eating properly with a balanced diet full of vegetables and fruits. This helps to improve the body's physical condition and chemistry.
• Leave behind bad habits and addictions such as alcohol, smoking or sedentary life.
• Thinking of new and interesting ways to improve your sex life or make it more dynamic. Communication is a vital asset. Talking with the partner and discussing the concerns and positive aspects of the relationship is one of the most fundamental factors in treating low sexual desire. This is key to avoiding divorces or separations where, interestingly, sexuality is one of the most important causes.

When the sexual desire is low or not as intense as in the past, the known retardants or vasodilators can hardly increase the libido because they help to maintain and achieve the erection itself, they do not encourage or promote the necessary sexual stimuli to make the penis more rigid and bigger.

In fact, most men with low libido have normal and even very good erectile function. What exists is an emotional problem (almost always) to feel pleasure and get an erection.

It is recommended that each patient who seeks professional help to try to solve their problem of low sexual desire, should come to us already having several aspects clear to facilitate the diagnosis. These aspects can be:

• Since when do I feel my sexual interest has diminished? When was the last time in my life that I perceived as the most sexually active?
• How's the relationship? Is it stable or are there frequent conflicts? How is the couple's communication? Am I sexually attracted to my partner?
• What are our sexual habits as a couple? Do we always do the same or, on the contrary, do we seek to innovate? Is it interesting what we do in sex? How many times do we make love in a month or a week.
• Do I feel like I care about my physical and mental health? What healthy habits do I do to feel vitalized? Am I overworking? How's my diet? Do I exercise?
• Have I taken any medication? What have they been and how long have I been taking them? Do I remember why the doctor prescribed them?
• Have I felt weaker than before? How is the quality of my erections if I am a man? Do I feel vaginal pain during penetration or am I close to menopause if I am a woman?

The diseases of the 21st century are said to be stress and anxiety given the fast pace of life today and the amount of work pressure that people are under. All of this can cause physical discomfort and general debilitation with negative repercussions on sexual desire, a totally biological element and a sign of physical, mental and emotional well-being. Dealing with stress and anxiety can be a complex task since the causes that produce them can be very broad, but in general, there are techniques and habits that can help, such as:

• Practising sports or physical activity (running, dancing, cycling, walking).
• Resting properly, more than six hours a day, but less than eight.
• Eating properly.
• Meditate.
• Cultivating healthy social relationships and keeping hobbies present.
• If you're in a relationship, it's up to both of you to care for it and keep the flame of passion alive despite the circumstances.