(LifeWire) - Although the topic of sex and headaches have been the source of countless bad jokes, the combination is no laughing matter to individuals who actually experience sex-related headaches.
Such headaches can strike at any point during any type of sexual activity, including intercourse or masturbation. While they do not represent a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition, sex-related headaches can seriously interfere with the ability to enjoy sex and may have a significant impact on the quality of life of the afflicted individual. These episodes may even lead to the avoidance of sexual activity altogether.
A number of different names have been applied to headaches brought on by sexual activity. The official diagnostic term used in the second edition of The International Classification of Headache Disorders(ICHD-II) to describe this condition is "primary headache associated with sexual activity." But other names employed over the years include:- Coital cephalgia (coital, meaning intercourse; cephalgia, meaning head pain)
- Coital headache
- Sex headache
- Benign vascular sexual headache (benign, meaning a condition that is not life-threatening; vascular, meaning changes in the blood vessels)
Who Gets Them?
Approximately 1% of the population experience sex-related headaches. In many cases, such individuals have a history of other types of chronic headache: one in four have had migraine episodes; almost half have had tension headaches; and one in three have benign exertional headaches, a type of headache that occurs during exercise or other exertion, and is unrelated to any serious condition.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, men are three to four times more likely than women to suffer from sex-related headaches. There are two age ranges at which the risk of experiencing a sex-related headache peaks; the first is between 20 and 24 years of age; the second, between 35 and 44 years of age.
How Do They Feel?
A variety of words have been used to describe the pain of a sex-related headache, ranging from dull to throbbing to stabbing. Typically, such headaches occur on both sides of the head, or bilaterally. While the pain can be anywhere in the head, it tends to be located in the the occipital region, which is at the back of the head.
A variety of other symptoms may accompany the headache, including flushing of the face, rapid heartbeat, pulsing or pounding in the ears, nausea, dizziness, and mood changes.
How Do I Know if a Headache Is Sex-Related?
Currently, there is no test available to verify whether an individual has experienced a sex-related headache. Diagnosis typically relies on a comparison of the symptoms experienced to the ICHD-II criteria for primary headache associated with sexual activity. The ICHD-II describes two major types of sex-related headaches:
- Preorgasmic (sometimes called type I, or dull subtype)
- Orgasmic headaches (sometimes called type II, or explosive subtype)
The preorgasmic form must involve all of the following:
- Dull ache in head and neck, with muscle stiffness in neck, jaw, or both
- Brought on by sexual activity, intensity increasing with the increase in sexual excitement
- No other disorder present that could account for these symptoms
The orgasmic form must involve all of the following:
- Sudden, severe onset of explosive headache pain
- Pain occurring at the time of orgasm
- No other disorder present that could account for these symptoms
How Long Do They Last?
The average duration of a sex-related headache is approximately four hours. However, some individuals may feel relief within minutes, while others may experience pain for up to 24 hours. After the initial burst of pain has subsided, some individuals may continue to have a mild headache for as long as 72 hours. Individuals who engage in sexual activity during this phase have a high risk for renewed pain. Thus, it is recommended that any sexual activity be delayed until symptoms are no longer experienced.
Once a Sex-Related Headache, Always a Sex-Related Headache?
The good news is that many individuals only experience a single sex-related headache. Others may experience sex-related headaches sporadically, separated by periods of remission. There are also individuals who suffer from these headaches frequently and, in effect, experience them with any sexual activity. Researchers are still trying to determine the relative proportions of individuals who fall into each of these categories.
What Should I Do if I Have Experienced a Sex-Related Headache?
Individuals who have experienced such a headache for the first time should consult a doctor. If the headache feels like the worst headache of your life, or like a thunderclap of pain, you should seek immediate help. Frequently, a doctor will perform several tests to rule out a number of more serious conditions that could be associated with such headaches, including aneurysm (a weakness in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain that can sometimes burst and bleed) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding between the layers of tissue that line the inside of the skull). Some doctors may also recommend a CT or MRI scan and lumbar puncture (spinal tap) for anyone experiencing a sex-related headache for the first time, especially for individuals who experience the abrupt, explosive orgasmic type headache.
What Kinds of Complications Can Occur?
The major complications of sex-related headaches are psychological or emotional. It is frightening and discouraging to experience sudden, intense pain during a sexual encounter. In an effort to avoid this pain, some individuals choose to avoid participating in any type of sexual activity.
How Can I Treat or Prevent Sex-Related Headaches?
Individuals who avoid sexual activity can completely halt an episode of sex-related headache. For individuals who want to maintain sexual activity, it may be helpful to take a more passive role during sex, which can aid in decreasing the headache symptoms.
Sex-related headaches can be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as Indocin (indomethacin), or triptans, such as Imitrex (sumatriptan). Individuals may also prevent a sex-related headache by taking such medications 30 to 60 minutes prior to engaging in sexual activity.
Individuals who experience these headaches frequently may benefit from taking a beta-blocker -- a class of medications for high blood pressure that includes Inderal (propranolol), Tenormin (atenolol) and Lopressor (metoprolol) -- on a daily basis to help prevent a sex-related headache episode.
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