Do Orgasms Lower Blood Pressure?
Evidence suggests that orgasms can help lower blood pressure and look after your heart health.
Orgasms are often celebrated for their pleasurable sensations and emotional benefits, but did you know they might also be good for your ticker? Specifically, there's evidence suggesting that orgasms can help lower blood pressure — at least, temporarily. Keep scrolling to learn more about the benefits of orgasms for heart health.
Understanding blood pressure
Blood pressure is the measure of how hard your blood is pushing against your artery walls as your heart pumps it around your body. The reading comes in two numbers: the top one (systolic) is the pressure when your heart beats, and the bottom one (diastolic) is the pressure when your heart is resting between beats. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to serious health problems like heart disease and stroke.
The link between orgasms and blood pressure
When you're feeling sexually aroused, your body goes through a series of changes involving your nervous, circulatory, and endocrine systems. Your heart rate and blood pressure increase as you get turned on, whether by yourself or with a partner, and they peak during orgasm. Afterward, they gradually return to their normal levels.
Sexual arousal happens in four stages:
- Excitement: This is when your heart rate speeds up, your blood pressure rises, your breathing quickens, and there's a rush of blood flow to the clitoris, vagina, and vulva.
- Plateau: Your blood pressure and heart rate continue to climb until you reach orgasm.
- Orgasm: Your heart rate and blood pressure reach their peak during orgasm, and you experience involuntary muscle contractions.
- Resolution: After orgasm, your blood pressure returns to its normal state.
Does orgasm lower blood pressure?
Sometimes we forget that sexual health is health, sexual health is health. Issues with arousal and sexual function can sometimes be a greater indicator that there is something wrong from a cardiovascular perspective — such as hypertension or heart disease.
While we need more research focused on the long-term effects of orgasms and blood pressure, current evidence suggests they can moderately and temporarily lower blood pressure. A study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior found that sex, specifically good sex, reduced the risk of hypertension in women. There are a few reasons why having regular orgasms might be good for heart health:
Stress reduction
One of the key benefits of an orgasm is its ability to reduce stress. When you have an orgasm, your body releases a surge of hormones, including oxytocin (also known as the "love hormone") and endorphins, which are natural mood elevators and painkillers. These hormones can help relax your arteries and lower your blood pressure, ultimately helping to alleviate stress.
Relaxation
The state of relaxation following an orgasm can also play a role in lowering blood pressure. This post-orgasmic relaxation response can help the body enter a state of rest and recovery, which may contribute to lower blood pressure levels.
Improved sleep
Orgasms can promote better sleep, and good sleep is crucial for maintaining healthy blood pressure. The relaxation and hormonal shifts that happen during and after an orgasm can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, more restorative sleep.
Cardiovascular exercise
Sexual activity, including reaching orgasm, can actually be a form of physical exercise. In terms of its impact on your heart and overall cardiovascular health, it's like doing mild to moderate physical activity, such as climbing two flights of stairs or going on a brisk walk. Of course, it's not a replacement for your regular workout routine, but the increased heart rate and physical exertion can have a positive effect on managing your blood pressure and keeping your heart healthy.
Now, this doesn’t mean that an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away — if you have hypertension or heart disease, it’s highly unlikely that orgasms alone will treat your condition. Diet, exercise, stress levels, weight, smoking, and drinking habits, not to mention genetics all play a role in blood pressure and heart health. If you have hypertension, your healthcare provider might recommend a combination of medication and lifestyle changes to improve your blood pressure, but there's no reason why you can't still enjoy a healthy sex life. Orgasms may not prevent a broken heart so to speak, but the science shows that they can at least keep it strong and healthy.
