People who have experienced heart conditions like a heart attack have to make adjustments in their daily life routines. They have to be careful about what they eat, the physical activities they carry out, and even the levels of stress they take.
Like all other adjustments, many don’t understand how to have sex after a heart condition. Sex is a part of an individual’s life and having a heart condition does not mean that you can’t have sex ever. You can take certain safety measures to keep your heart safe and be able to enjoy the pleasures as well. Here’s what you need to know about sex after a heart attack.
10 Things You Should Know About Sex After A Heart Attack
1. You Need To Give It Time
Having a heart condition like a heart attack will take time to heal. Different people recover differently depending on the severity of their heart conditions. Therefore, it is important to be patient before you involve yourself with any sexual activity.
As a general rule, if you are able to walk up two flights of stairs without chest pain or breathlessness, your body is probably capable of sex.1 When you’re ready, choose a comfortable place and make sure you and your partner are relaxed.
2. Risk Of Another Heart Attack During Sex Is Low
Most people fear that sex or sexual activities can trigger another heart attack. However, the truth is the risk of experiencing another heart attack during sex is very low.
Experts say that the heartbeat and blood pressure rise when one has an orgasm and does not last long enough to have an impact on the heart health. Therefore, if you fear that you may experience a heart attack during sex, get rid of it right away.
3. You May Experience A Low Sex Drive
It is absolutely normal for those with a recent heart attack to experience a loss of sex drive. This is because your body and mind are still experiencing a range of emotions that include gratitude, sorrow, confusion etc. When your mind is recovering from the incident, you may be disinterested in having sex.
Sometimes, your medications may be the reason for this decreased sex drive. It is always important to understand that this is a common problem and it is temporary. Be patient and you will be right on track in no time.
4. Your Partner May Be Extra Careful
Don’t be worried if your partner begins to show extra care. This is only because they don’t want to trigger another event of a heart attack. This means that it is equally important for a partner to understand about sex and how to go about it just as much as the patient needs to.
5. Try Comfortable Sex Positions
Different sex positions can be fun and arousing; however, it may not be the best time to experiment new positions with your partner if you’ve experienced a heart attack.
It is always important to give your heart as less stress as possible. Therefore, try comfortable positions like the missionary position, where your heart is not put under too much stress.
6. Boost Your Confidence With Cardiac Rehab
If you feel that your performance is not how it is used to be, it may be due to the lack of confidence and the fear in you about experiencing another heart attack. However, this can be fixed.
Cardiac rehabilitation can reduce the risk of further complications during sexual activities. In fact, even regular exercise like walking or jogging can beat the fear of getting breathless or being weak. This, in turn, can help boost your confidence and carry it with you in the bedroom with your loved one.
7. Medications May Affect Your Sexual Performance
A common side effect of medicines used for treating heart attacks is low blood pressure. A low blood pressure can make you feel light-headed or weak during sex. You may also find it difficult to maintain your sexual arousal.
But, what you need to keep in mind is that it does not only happen with you. Most heart attack patients go through the same experiences. Fortunately, these are short-term and you’ll feel better with time.
8. Give Your Dating Schedule A Rest
It may not be the best time to date someone new after you’ve experienced a heart attack. New relationships require a lot of time and understanding and may even increase the levels of stress and tension.
Your new partner may not be aware of your health condition and you may need to communicate this during the first or second date. Some may understand while others may not; therefore, you may want to give your dating schedules a rest, at least long enough till you’ve recovered completely.
9. Sex-Enhancement Drugs May Interact With Your Medication
Another important thing you need to know about sex after a heart attack is the possibility of further complications if you use sexual performance enhancing drugs, particularly erectile dysfunction (ED) medications.
These drugs may interact with the prescribed medications such as nitrates which are given to relieve chest pain.2 Therefore, any new changes or addition of drugs should be communicated with your health professional before using them.
10. Discuss Sex With Your Doctor
It may be embarrassing to talk about sex with your doctor, but it is one of the safest and most reliable ways to know how to go about it.
During your regular visits to the hospital, make sure you make a list of questions about physical activities, including sex. There is no need to hesitate because you need to get back to your normal life and your doctor can help you do that. Also, if it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only one to go through this.
Psychological factors also contribute to the way you perform in the bedroom. Keeping your mind strong and knowing the right ways to perform sexual activities will help you perform better.
Just remember, you’re not in this alone and people who care for you will understand your situation well enough to make you feel comfortable about the changes you experience.
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