If you've had a heart attack or heart surgery, you've probably wondered when, if ever, it's okay to resume sexual activity. And if you're the partner of a heart attack victim, you may be scared to initiate anything for fear of causing another attack.
Well, worry not. Experts believe that if you're starting to feel frisky, that's a good sign. While each individual should check with his or her own doctor, guidelines issued by The Princeton Consensus say sex in the first few weeks after heart attack or surgery is simply too risky. Within three or four weeks, though, 70 percent of heart attack patients are at a low risk for a coital heart attack and can resume having sex. The other 30 percent may need more tests before being allowed to proceed. For those who have undergone heart surgery, sexual activity is generally delayed for the first four weeks, according to the Tampa Tribune, but every case is individual.
A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that followed 1,774 heart attack patients found that for patients at the highest risk, there was only a 20 in one million chances of having a second heart attack during sex, according to the Welland Tribute. And a University of Maryland study found that even men with chronic heart failure could have sex and not be in danger of another heart attack.
Since depression after a heart attack is common, some people don't even feel like sex for awhile, says cardiologist Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.
"Getting back to intimacy and love is by far one of the best medicines you can give yourself," she says. "It's important to not get discouraged. Three months after having a heart attack, 85 percent of people feel better in terms of their depression."
Get Back in the Swing of Things
See your doctor, who will most likely make recommendations about your sexual readiness by using the same guidelines as for any form of similar exercise.
Expect to feel some anxiety, and don't be surprised if you have reduced sexual desire for awhile. This is common among heart patients, and can be made worse by the medications that you're taking, and by fear.
Work to keep your blood pressure and blood cholesterol at an optimal rate, stop smoking, and if you have diabetes, manage it carefully.
If you're the sexual partner of a heart attack victim, be sensitive and work toward regaining intimacy. "It's part of the healing process," says Dr. Steinbaum. "The heart is such a poetic organ and when it gets broken with a heart attack, your spirit can get a little broken, too. The important thing is to know that having sex is safe and healthy."
