High Blood Pressure - Can It Take Away Your Satisfaction with Sex?
High blood pressure is often invisible. Many people, who have it,
have no obvious signs and symptoms and don't even realize that they have this
problem. However, just because it does not often have any signs or symptoms
does not mean that it is not dangerous or it's not affecting other parts of
your health.
One of the often overlooked effects of this condition is on sexual life. Although it hasn't been yet proven that high blood pressure is responsible for decrease in sexual satisfaction in women, studies have actually shown that the condition is indeed linked with various sexual problems in men.
Effects of High Blood Pressure on Sexual Health of Men
Undetected high blood pressure damages the lining of blood vessels and leads to a condition called atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, the arteries tend to harden and become narrow. This limits the smooth flow of blood to various organs of the body, including the penis.
A decrease in blood flow to the penis translates into problems achieving and maintaining erections, a condition called erectile dysfunction. Although this problem can occur in other men also, it is particularly common in men who have high blood pressure and who are not taking adequate treatment for it.
Another sexual problem that is particularly common in men with untreated high blood pressure is problems ejaculating. These men may also suffer from low reduced sexual desire.
Problems with High Blood Pressure Medications
Untreated high blood pressure is not the only thing that causes sexual problems in men. Men who do get treatment for this condition may actually suffer from side effects of the medications.
For example, if you are not able to control your high blood pressure through diet and exercise, the first drugs that your doctor will prescribe are diuretics. These are also called water pills. It has been found that these medications can cause erection problems in men. These decrease the flow of blood to the penis which makes it difficult to reach an erection.
It also lowers the levels of the mineral, zinc, in the body. Zinc is necessary for the production of the sex hormone, testosterone, which plays an important role in the sexual satisfaction of men. Lower levels of zinc translate into lower levels of testosterone and low levels of sexual desire in men.
Beta blockers are also one of the common drugs that are prescribed for the treatment of blood pressure. These drugs have an affect on the nervous system and may affect the reaction that causes an erection.
For an erection to occur, the arteries in the penis need to widen or dilate so that more blood can flow. However, beta blockers may cause a problem in the proper dilation of these arteries in the penis, thus preventing enough blood to flow and cause an erection.
How to Prevent the Effects of High Blood Pressure and Their Medications?
First, if you have high blood pressure, get treatment for it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure will not just affect your sexual health in the long run but also your overall health.
If your doctor prescribes diuretics and you think there are sexual side effects, stay on it until the blood pressure comes under control. Once under control, your doctor can switch to a medication that reduces the risk of erectile dysfunction. You may also benefit from a combination of two different drugs, one for your high blood pressure and another for your erectile dysfunction.
You may also want to switch from beta blockers to other medications that are less likely to cause sexual problems. Some drugs that are less likely to cause sexual side effects include angiotensin converting enzyme or ACE inhibitors such as Lotensin. It widens the blood vessels and allows the blood flow to the penis to remain normal. This is why it is less likely to cause erectile dysfunction.
You can also try calcium channel blockers such as Verapamil, alpha-blockers such as Cardura, and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) such as Losarten. These drugs are less likely to cause sexual side effects. In fact, ARBs have actually been found to improve sexual health of men with high blood pressure.
Your doctor may also advise you to stop taking your medications for a while. This is to see if the drugs are actually causing the sexual side effects. Pay special attention to your readings during this time, however, since going off the medications may make the blood pressure rise to dangerous levels.
Other Tips for Men with High Blood Pressure
Healthy lifestyle choices are a necessity if you want to lower your blood pressure and improve your sex life. This means eating healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, losing weight, exercising and staying physically active, reducing salt intake, and avoiding alcohol and smoking
Work on ways to improve your sexual intimacy with your partner. If you have any anger against your partner, it may affect the sexual response of both you and your partner. Spending a relaxing time with your partner just trying to promote emotional closeness can help you a great deal in having a satisfying sex life. Try different ways to get physically intimate such as massaging or soaking in the bathtub together. Share each other's sexual fantasies and be open to experimentation.
Basically, the better the communication with your partner, the more satisfying will be you sex life, whether you have high blood pressure or not.