Sexual Headaches: From Ecstasy to Agony
For years, partners have used headache as an excuse to avoid lovemaking. For some people, lovemaking is the cause of the headache.
Forty-year-old Jack was making love to his wife when the pain exploded in his head. "I felt as if someone had plunged an ice pick into the back of my skull," he reported to his doctor later. The pain lingered for about an hour, with no other symptoms, so Jack dismissed the episode as a fluke.
When the pain returned a few days later, once again as Jack was approaching
orgasm, he could no longer ignore it. Was he about to die from an aneurysm? Was his sex life in danger of dying, too? The pain he had experienced, though short-lived, was enough to make Jack fearful of making love again.
Though reluctant to discuss his sex life with his doctor, Jack made an appointment and described his symptoms. To his relief, the doctor was able to rule out a hemorrhage and other life-threatening conditions. He diagnosed Jack's pain as benign sexual headache, a lesser-known type of headache triggered by orgasm.
These headaches are rare and are most common in men and can appear in their 20's, then again in their mid-30's. If you have these types of headaches, it is important to see your doctor to make sure you do not have a more serious condition. If you are prone to headaches, especially
migraines, then here is some information that may be helpful.
Physical and Psychological Effects
What exactly is a benign sexual headache (also known as
benign coital headache,
orgasmic headache, or orgasmic cephalgia)? It is a sudden, intense pain near or at the moment of orgasm. The pain remains intense for 5-15 minutes, though some people report pain lasting as long as several hours or two days. Pain can occur with intercourse or masturbation, and may happen infrequently, or every time a person approaches orgasm.
There are different types of headaches depending on how and when they happen:
Avoiding sexual activity can create relationship problems. Remember to be up front with your partner so they can understand what is going on as well.
The Cause
There is not an exact cause of benign sexual headaches, though they are classified with other headaches brought on by exertion., such as the exercise-induced headaches sometimes experienced by joggers and weightlifters. These types of headaches are thought to be brought on by changes in blood vessel regulation.
Research also supports that people who have migraines and tension headaches have a risk of having benign sexual headaches twice as often as those who do not.
Prevention Options
Analgesics, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, have little effect once the headache begins. Fortunately, treatment to prevent a recurrence of benign sexual headaches is both simple and effective.
Again, your doctor will first want to rule out other, more serious causes of head pain, such as hemorrhage of a blood vessel in the head. A physical exam will reveal symptoms of hemorrhage, such as stiff neck, change in pupil size, vomiting, or pain that persists for more than 24 hours. If any doubt exists as to whether or not a hemorrhage has occurred, your doctor may order a
CT scan.
Options for prevention include:
Though painful and sometimes frightening, benign sexual headache does not mean an end to a satisfying sex life. Understanding and proper treatment usually lead to a permanent cure.
RESOURCES
American Headache Society
http://www.americanheadachesociety.org/
National Headache Foundation
http://www.headaches.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Headache Network
http://www.headachenetwork.ca/
Help for Headaches
http://www.headache-help.org/
References
Domitrz I., Primary Headache Associated with Sexual Activity. Ginekol Pol.. 2005;76(12):995-999.
Evers S, Goadsby P., Treatment of Miscellaneous Idiopathic Headache Disorders. Eur J Neurol. 2011;18(6):803-812.
Headache. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated November 8, 2012. Accessed November 30, 2012.
Sex and Your Headache. American Headache Society website. Available at: http://www.achenet.org/sex%5Fand%5Fyour%5Fheadache/. Accessed November 30, 2012.
Sexual Benign Headaches. National Headache Foundation website. Available at: http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache%5FTopic%5FSheets/Sexual%5FBenign%5FHeadaches. Accessed November 30, 2012.
Revision Information
Review Date: 11/2012
Update Date: 11/30/2012