There’s the old saying we are all familiar with and maybe have even voiced ourselves a time or two - “Not tonight dear, I have a headache.”  But here’s a new twist on that infamous line, “Not tonight dear, sex will give me a headache.”

What is a sex headache?

The last thing most of us expect when having sex is to be mixing pain with pleasure.  Yet, a small percentage of individuals will experience what researchers call “headaches associated with sexual activity.”  Sex headaches are brought on by sexual activity – especially an orgasm.  A person may begin to notice one coming on by feeling a dull ache in their head and neck that continues to build up as sexual excitement increases.  A more common timeframe for a sex headache to happen is when it strikes abruptly just before or during orgasm.  This type of sex headache is more likely to come on suddenly, and be a more severe, throbbing headache as opposed to a dull ache.  The headaches can last several minutes while others can linger for hours or even two to three days.

Potential problems

Before anyone who has gotten sex headaches is vowing to never have sex again – which is doubtful – they should know that most headaches associated with sex are usually nothing to worry about.  However, if it happens and it’s the very first time to do so, it could be a sign of something potentially serious, such as problems with the bleed vessels leading to the brain.  If a person vomits, has a stiff neck, severe pain lasting more than 24 hours or loses consciousness, they should contact their doctor immediately as it is more likely due to an underlying cause such as an aneurysm or hemorrhage.

Who is at risk?

There are certain risk factors making it more likely for certain people to develop a headache during sex.  One is being a man – men are more likely to be at risk for sex headaches than women but, luckily, the condition only affects 1 percent of the population with men typically experiencing them in their 20s through 40s.  Also, anyone who has a history of migraine headaches can be prone to having sex headaches.

What is the cause?

If the cause is secondary, meaning another health condition is causing them to happen then a specialist should be able to determine what it is.  Primary causes of sex headaches are harder to ascertain their cause as researchers don’t know their origin.  There have been speculations of them arising due to neck, jaw and scalp contractions during sex but they could also be blamed on an increase in blood pressure and heart rate during orgasm.

Treatment

Treatment for those having headaches associated with sex and with no underlying cause, are often recommended by their doctor to take preventative medication regularly such as a beta blocker which are used to treat high blood pressure, coronary artery diseases and migraines. 

Preventing a sex headache from happening

Unfortunately, there is no real proven method of preventing a headache during sex.  One way may be to stop sexual activity right before orgasm.  Another way is to take a more passive role during sex – certain positions taken during sex could be a potential cause of a headache.  Sometimes it may take some experimentation to figure out what could be driving a headache during sex.