Sex Headaches
Turn Pleasure to Pain
Affliction affects a half-million Americans
By John Reinan - HealthScout Reporter
Nov. 12 (HealthScout) - "Not tonight, honey. I'm going to
have a headache." For a half-million Americans, that
variation on the old joke isn't funny. They suffer from
sex-related headaches, a painful malady that can cool even the
hottest passion.
"They're severe and they come on fast and they stop you in
your tracks," says Dr. David Haas, a professor of neurology
at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in
Syracuse. "They're no fun. They hurt a lot."
Despite continuing research, there's no consensus on what causes
sex-related headaches. But many who suffer them also are prone to
other types of headaches, such as migraines or exertion-related
headaches.
But if the cause of these headaches remains uncertain, there's no
doubt about the result.
Often described as "a thunderclap," the
headache frequently appears in the base of the skull at or near
the moment of orgasm, transforming pleasure to pain in
seconds. Intense pain may last for 10 to 15 minutes, with lesser
pain lingering for another hour or two.
Sex-related headaches are sometimes referred to as "coital
headaches," but that's not exactly accurate, Haas says, since
they can occur even during solo sex.
"You can get it with masturbation," says Haas, who runs
a Web site devoted to headaches. "I [treated] a woman
professor who would get the headache with masturbation more than
with intercourse."
Men suffer disproportionately
Men are far more likely to suffer sex-related headaches than
women, with most authorities saying men account for about 80
percent of the cases. Again, there's little consensus on why men
suffer disproportionately.
One theory, however, claims that, for women, vaginal stimulation
may help block pain, as a way of preparing them for childbirth.
The effects of sex-related headaches go beyond pain, however. Even
though most sufferers can be treated successfully, they may
develop a lingering fear of sex.
"You're talking about something that's a physiological event
that has a lot of psychological impact, too," says Jeanetta
Rains, clinical director of the Center for Sleep Evaluation at
Elliott Hospital in Manchester, N.H.
"It's a powerful event to have happen to you," says
Rains, a psychologist who has done a decade's worth of research on
sleep and headaches. "It's certainly something that can
provoke a lot of fear. They may worry they can never have sex
again."
But Rains says almost all cases of sex-related headaches can be
successfully managed. The first step is a brief period of
abstinence from sex - perhaps for a couple of weeks. "It's
best not to get right back on the horse," she says.
People
can vary their sexual positions, trying more passive
approaches to cut down on sexual exertion, Rains says. And
anything that improves general health -- such as losing weight,
lowering blood pressure, improving cardiovascular strength - is
likely to help the headaches, as well.
Some drugs can be helpful, such as propranolol or endomethicin.
Even ibuprofen, a common over-the-counter headache remedy, has
proven successful. |
