The sentence “Darling, not today – I have a headache” sounds richly hackneyed. In addition, it is supposedly used as an excuse for the “most beautiful minor matter in the world”. However, for many people, the most severe headaches occur during sexual intercourse, and not before.
Men are more often affected
Nor is it generally women who struggle with headaches during sex. In particular, men between the ages of 25 and 50 are three to four times more likely to be affected than women. Most often, the headache comes explosively during orgasm.
Around 70% of those affected report that they have been attacked by this painful concomitant “in a flash”. In other patients, a dull ache spreads to the head and neck, becoming stronger with increasing arousal and more like a tension headache.
In most patients, the sexual co-pain occurs for only a few months and then disappears. However, the symptoms can return even years later. Studies show that migraine patients are particularly affected. In about a quarter of patients, doctors can detect a family predisposition to attack-like headaches. High blood pressure and altered sexual practices also increase the risk.
Cause and effect
Anyone who suffers a severe headache attack during sexual intercourse must first urgently clarify whether a brain hemorrhage or stroke may be the cause. In most cases, such life-threatening triggers of the headache can be excluded.
There are still no clear indications of the origin of the complaints, but stress researchers assume that the processing of stress stimuli in the brain does not work optimally in the affected patients.
This also affects the regulation of the arteries in the brain. The vessels are unable to adjust properly to the increase in blood pressure, resulting in an incorrect supply of blood to the brain. Similar mechanisms are also known to occur in migraine patients.
Abstinence is not necessary
Explosive headaches during sexual intercourse are painful and uncomfortable. They are worrisome for the sufferer, but generally harmless. Those who suffer from these attacks more frequently, however, do not have to give up sexual intercourse because of it.
A little discipline, however, can help to limit the headaches or prevent them altogether. Quickies or too much excitement should therefore be avoided. The “cuddling variant” with slowly increasing excitement helps to avoid overloading the brain’s stimulus processing.
Prophylactically, acetylsalicylic acid can be taken one hour before sexual intercourse after consultation with the doctor. In the case of long-term sexual headache, beta-blockers and other blood pressure-lowering agents can also be used. In any case, a thorough medical evaluation is necessary to avoid the phrase “Honey, stop. I’m getting a headache” from one’s vocabulary.
