Headache Affects Sexual Life and Relationships

"Not tonight, dear" may be heard in the bedroom more often than you think. A recent survey by the National Headache Foundation (NHF) revealed that headaches may interfere with a satisfying sex life and impair relationships overall. In the survey, 69% of respondents have avoided sex because of a headache, with 35% saying this avoidance has caused a strain on their relationship. Moreover, 47% of headache sufferers report they have experienced a headache triggered by sex.

According to survey on headache and sex:

• 40% of respondents reported a decrease in sexual activity due to sex-associated headaches

• 42% of respondents reported sex-associated headaches typically lasting more than an hour

• 32% of respondents describe their sex-associated headaches as developing after sexual activity and being worse when standing up than laying down

• 39% of respondents admit to having lied about skipping sex because of a headache

Despite these problems, only 13% of headache sufferers have spoken with a healthcare provider about sex-associated headaches. "Some sufferers may be embarrassed or reluctant to talk to their healthcare providers about this problem," says Suzanne Simons, Executive Director of the NHF. "Those afflicted by sex-associated headaches do not have to let their relationships suffer needlessly when so many treatment options are available."

Notably, 68% of respondents reported a sympathetic response from their partners when deferring sex because of a headache.

"Most sex-associated headaches will not require treatment," says Dr. Seymour Diamond, Executive Chairman of the NHF. "However if persistent and severe, medical consultation should be sought. Beta-blockers or indomethacin are usually prescribed as preventive treatments."

Head Off A Headache in the Bedroom:

• Beat the headache to the punch. Try taking a pain reliever beforehand to ease headaches that occur during or after sex.

• Ease into it. A massage can relax tense head or neck muscles and lessen the chance of a headache interrupting later.

• Get help. Discuss your headaches with your partner or healthcare provider.

About 30 million Americans suffer from migraine, which is most commonly experienced between the ages of 15 and 55. Seventy to eighty percent of sufferers have a family history of migraine. Less than half of all migraine sufferers have received a diagnosis of migraine from their healthcare provider. Migraine is often misdiagnosed as sinus or tension-type headache.