Sex after heart surgery: Avoid unfamiliar, younger partners
by Dr Tilak Suvarna
Today heart surgeries have become really common which makes it extremely important for people to know about post-surgical procedures, most importantly knowing when you can get back to normal life. In our earlier piece, we talked about exercising after heart surgery. In this post, Dr Tilak Suvarna, an interventional cardiologist and Head of Cardiology, Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai writes about sex after heart surgery:
When can a person have sex after surgery?
You should wait at least 4-6 weeks after the event. In case of a bypass surgery, the patient should wait for their wounds to heal (bypass surgery hyperlink).
Are there any precautions you should take before, during and after intercourse?
One of the most important things is to be well-rested at the time of sexual activity. You should avoid unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar partners. If it's a regular partner, that shouldn't cause any problems. But it it's a new partner, particularly someone younger, then there's a chance of more pressure and the heart rate going up. Avoid a heavy meal and alcohol before sex. Most people who've suffered heart attacks during sex have been men who are with a younger and unfamiliar partner. You should also avoid positions that restrict breathing.
What warning signs one should look out for while having intercourse?
The most glaring signs are breathlessness, excessive sweating and light-headedness. All of the above signs indicate that a person's blood pressure is falling and they need to stop. The best remedy is to rest and take a sorbitrate if the person is known to suffer from angina.
People believe that if a heart patient can walk up a flight of stairs after surgery he/she is ready to have sex. Is this true?
Yes, this is true, but it is two flights of stairs not one actually. But see that is a generalized statement that was made, but one must remember that that was made from studies that were done on healthy young men or middle aged men. So, this study stated that a man who can climb two flights of steps without feeling uneasy can have sex, because that is the kind of stress that is put on a person's heart while having sex. I think it differs from individual to individual, especially in older people. Since older people have weakened orgasms, in order to achieve climax, they are likely to exert themselves to a greater degree.
Does heart surgery affect the virility of a man?
No. But then we do have patients who come to us after surgery and say that their libido is gone or weakened. But there could be other reasons for it, one could be medicines they are taking, but more often than not it is psychological. They are scared and fear that they might get a heart attack while having sex or that they are worried that they may not be able to satisfy their partner. But heart surgery per se does not affect one's libido or erections. (Tips to beat erectile dysfunction)
So blood thinners and other medications do not cause it?
No, blood thinners cannot cause problems in one's libido. But like I said there are certain blood pressure medicines that can cause a loss of libido. But a recent study has shown that it is more psychological. Erectile dysfunction might be caused in people suffering from diabetes but this is not due to heart surgery.
Know your heart, love your heart
More and more Indians are falling prey to heart disease. There are various reasons for this including a sedentary lifestyle, genetic predisposition, pollution, smoking, drinking, a fatty diet and a general ignorance about what causes heart ailments. However, we at health.india.com intend to fight that by covering every aspect of cardiovascular health including diet, expert advice, exercise, natural remedies, diagnosis and treatment, specific heart advice for women .
Check out our Heart Health Page for more.
For more articles on diseases and conditions, check out our diseases & conditions section and for videos, check out our YouTube Channel.
Show commentsOpen link
No comments:
Post a Comment