Sexual activity and heart problems in men
The sexual act is actually quite unusual and leads to changes in the heart rate, which quite reasonably could worry a man who has been having heart troubles.
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The heart beats at a rate of 70 to 80 beats per minute when you’re relaxed, going up to 120 and sometimes reaching 160 beats a minute and your blood pressure increases. And we all know that hot sex makes your blood boil, so to speak!
Some men lose seuxal confidence because they have experienced a drop in their sexual form linked to their heart’s health or their anxiety about it. Sometimes, it is medication that brings about sexual dysfunction. Here we shed light on these matters of the heart.
Angina and other heart problems: safe sex?
In many heart disorders, particularly angina, there is poor blood circulation in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. Men suffer more from angina than women, especially after the age of 50.
Excessive physical exertion risks triggering an attack, especially if there are exceptional psychological circumstances linked to the exertion. A man suffering from angina runs more of a risk with his heart if he has sex that will “heighten” his excitement:
- with a new “exciting” partner, rather than “usual” sex with his wife
- in a new place, where he is not used to having sex
- in a new position or scenario, fantasy enactment etc.
Despite what Hollywood would have us believe, only 0.6% of sudden deaths are directly linked to sexual activity. Above all, it is advisable to really get to know how your body is going to react to the exertion and to manage the recovery period properly. For information, an “average” sex session can be compared to the exertion of climbing two flights of stairs at a good pace.
Once they have understood the outcome of tests to their heart, the majority of coronary victims can make that kind of exertion after they’ve been released from hospital come out of hospital. What is more, when the exertion test results come back as normal, the heart won’t suffer in any way during sexual activity, nor is there a serious risk of heart attack.
Sexual activity and heart problems
A heart attack may be either sudden or it may follow a stage of angina which can vary in length. Sometimes, a coronary episode is serious, fatal even, however in many cases the person will pull through, but with varying after-effects.
A heart attack is rarely a direct result of sexual activity result of having sex. Only 3% of men who have a coronary have had sex in the two hours before the heart attack occurred. In cardiac rehabilitation centres, such patients are told that they must be re-educated as regards physical and sexual activity.
According to the conclusions of the recent cardiology conference in Barcelona, you can take up “normal” physical and sexual activity again between 8 to 10 days after coming out of hospital following a heart attack.
Heart rate problems can be treated with medication or by fitting a pacemaker. More often than not, moderate physical activity can be resumed and as such, sex is therefore not considered unsuitable.
Your GP and cardiologist will be able to tell you exactly what it is reasonable to expect effort-wise, as treatment and advise you if you come across any difficulties in you sex life.
Heart disease and Viagra
As well as the arteries supplying the heart, other arteries may be blocked to varying degrees. If the arteries supplying the penis with blood are blocked, you might not get a very good erection; this happens quite often with coronary thrombosis or angina. It is tempting then to use Viagra. But be careful, certain other medications are totally incompatible with this drug… rather than taking the risk of dying for a bit of sexual satisfaction, you must absolutely consult your doctor before taking any other medication.
A Swedish study published in 2000 proves the effectiveness of Viagra on men with cardiovascular disease, but stresses the precautions which should be taken (like carrying out an exertion test and paying very close attention to the interaction of medicines, especially in the case of treatment with nitrate derivatives). The risks linked to taking Viagra have been extensively discussed in the media. Even so, this drug has been of great service to many men and many relationships – as long it is taken under the right medical conditions.
Psychological/emotional stress and sexual dysfunction
A man suffering from heart disease may feel debilitated and fear that he won’t be as good in bed, even if there is no major physical risk in him having sex. This kind of stress can bring about problems with erections and even ejaculation. Certain health requirements, directly linked to the treatment as a whole, such as a diet, needing to lose weight, having to give up smoking can play a part in altering your body, reducing your enjoyment of life and therefore your desire for sex, as well as your pleasure from it.
Also, there is a risk of the couple having sex less frequently, or stopping altogether, especially if there were already difficulties before the heart problems occurred. Sometimes the woman feels that she must protect her partner after he has had health problems, and mothers him, thereby finding a “dominant role” in the relationship and forbidding her husband to make love.
In other cases, the couple gets back to their previous sexuality, whilst of course taking a few precautions. The woman for example can play a more active role than before, by doing most of the “work”. As a result, some couples experiment with new situations and try out techniques which up till now they’d never dared. Some discover that you can also take your time and make love in a ‘lazy’ way, more like an erotic stroll that a frenetic sprint.
On an emotional level, thanks to the renewal of sexual activity, the husband and wife both get back self-confidence as a sexually active couple, feeling sexy and sensual. The renewal of sexual relations is obviously a positive sign for the relationship. If sexual activity isn’t renewed, it can bode badly not only for the relationship but also for the condition of the patient’s heart. It is possible to rediscover (or discover for the first time) sexual fulfilment after a heart attack.
A New-Zealand study has shown that an “adequate”’ sex-life led to a lower general mortality rate. Even so, it shouldn’t be ignored that sexual activity does increases the risk heart attack, during the act itself, albeit rare.
Heart medication and sexuality
In the majority of cases, medication improves the heart’s condition and a man will go back to a fulfilled sexual life.
However, depending on the individual, certain of these medications can sometimes have a negative effect on a man’s sex-life, interfering with libido, erections, and even ejaculation.
When the medicine is vitally important, the treatment obviously takes priority over the sex-life. A study has proved the harmfulness of digitalis drugs, diuretics and beta-blockers on male sexuality, all of which cause sexual dysfunction, in 32%, 23% and 13% of cases respectively.
Nevertheless, it is conceivable that in certain situations the treatment can be modified and drugs that are less disruptive to sexual function can be chosen. There are lists of harmful medicines but knowledge in this field is growing fast and the information is rarely definitive.
Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo
Posted 20.02.2012
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