A study published in The American Journal of Cardiology found men who ejaculated just once per month were 45 percent more probable to experience a cardiovascular disease compared to those who acquired it more than twice a week. The researchers accept that healthier men are more prone to having sex, which means they likely already have healthy cardiovascular systems.
Is masturbation good for the heart? Along with pleasure, analyses have discovered that sex can actually boost your general health. Sexual arousal provides chemicals within the body that behave like messengers and help control a variety of our body systems and promote positive mood.
- Sexual arousal produces feel-good chemicals and hormones that promote our reward system in the brain – this results in reduced anxiety and supports brain health.
- Many people find it easier to sleep after sex and this is because a certain hormone is released which leads to feelings of ease.
- Sexual stimulation promotes hormone balance and can help relieve pain.
- Regular sexual activity and masturbation support cardiovascular health.
- Women who have frequent orgasms have more powerful pelvic floor muscles and less urinary incontinence.
Continue reading to get the answer to “Is masturbation is harmful for heart?” and the benefits of masturbation.
What’s the connection between Heart and Masturbation?
The science behind this is that your body emits norepinephrine and epinephrine, a reaction of the body in any stressful condition. These hormones are the reason behind an increase in your blood pressure and heartbeat during sex or masturbation. Does orgasm increase blood pressure? – It increases from when you reach your sexual plateau till a few minutes after the ejaculation and this is the same for both men and women.
According to a study, it’s not regular for your heartbeat to go above 130 beats per minute and for your blood pressure to exceed 170 mm Hg during sexual activity.
So, for the answer to -Does orgasm increase blood pressure? – For most people, masturbation doesn’t exactly raise your blood pressure to a harmful level, even if you have high blood pressure.
People with some conditions, such as a brain aneurysm, may need to restrict activities like masturbation that cause quick spikes in their blood pressure. A brain aneurysm occurs when a bulging blood vessel in your brain increases your risk of a stroke.
When we talk about the connection between sexual activity and the heart, it is categorized into four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution –
- Excitement phase – During this stage, your heart rate starts speeding up, and your blood pressure begins to rise. You also start to witness other things like increased breathing, blood gush to the genitals and muscle strain.
- Plateau phase – Your heart rate and the other changes you witnessed during the excitement phase keep growing until you reach orgasm.
- Climax – Your heart rate and blood pressure are at the highest point during orgasm and you undergo involuntary muscle contractions.
- Resolution – After ejaculation, your body returns to its usual state before arousal.
Is masturbation is harmful for heart? If you feel any pain or numbness during masturbation you might consider visiting a medical professional.
Is Masturbation Good for the Heart?
Masturbation is usually done in a healthy, private setting and is a normal activity that has enormous benefits. These include:
- Stress relief
- Better sleep
- Mood upliftment
- Comfort from period cramps
- No brain fog
- Pain alleviation
Some people have indeed suffered a heart attack or chest pain after masturbation or sexual activity. The act doesn’t lead to a heart attack, though. It was the state their body was already in, an existing disease, or some genetic problem they already had.
You can say that masturbating is like a small exercise for your heart, similar to the results of a brisk walk, but with a pleasing climax.
There are also some alarming results from studies that show that sexual activity multiplies your odds of a heart attack. What these results do not disclose is that patients are usually examined based on their activities before the heart attack as analogized to the days when they didn’t suffer from one. This can often affect the data and affect the way doctors view a risk associated with sexual activity.
In a report concerning sex and the heart, it was discovered that the risk of heart attack for a man in his 50s who is physically fit is 1 chance in 1 million per hour. Tripling the risk by masturbation raises the risk to 3 in 1 million per hour. This is only for two hours during and after sexual activity. For a heart attack survivor, the risk of 10 in 1 million per hour rises to 30 in 1 million per hour by performing sexual activity.
What this shows is that while there is some proof that masturbation or sex leads to a heart attack, the chances are still very low.
Now that you have understood the answer to “Is ejaculating good for the heart?”, let’s read about the various benefits of masturbation.
What are the benefits of masturbation?
The advantages of masturbating are limitless depending on how it affects you individually. That said, several common benefits affect the body and mind. From reduced anxiety and sleep quality to intensified sexual pleasure and more, the many benefits are sufficient to make it part of your normal self-care routine.
1. Reduces stress and anxiety
Meditation and yoga might be the first thing in your stress relief kit. But you can also masturbate in the name of reduced stress. Whether it causes orgasm or not, masturbating produces a lot of different hormones including dopamine and serotonin which develop a sense of well-being. Those chemicals can supply you with a high that makes you feel more satisfied. Many people inhale and exhale deeply when they are undergoing physical pleasure, which in itself can help to relieve anxiety and calm yourself.
2. Quality sleep
Swap melatonin with masturbation. Masturbating before sleeping is connected to the idea of better sleep quality, per an analysis published in the Frontiers in Public Health. It causes a release of a hormone called prolactin, which can make you feel exhausted, as well as oxytocin, which makes you feel calm. Additionally, urinating right after sexual activity flushes bacteria away from the urethra which can help lower the risk of UTIs
3. More sexual pleasure
Masturbating can increase understanding of what you like and how you like to be touched. Because of this, sometimes masturbation can lead to a more satisfying partnered sex. Once you understand what your body enjoys and needs, you can share those needs with your partner for better intimacy together. After all, it’s more convenient to tell someone how to satisfy you if you already know how to pleasure yourself.
4. Pelvic floor muscles
Other than gaining insight into what you like sexually, masturbating can also help you understand what you don’t like. Contracting your pelvic floor muscles can give you greater strength. One study found that sexually active cisgender women were more likely to have a strong pelvic floor.
5. Better immunity
Masturbating can’t substitute general health approaches around staying clean and up to date on vaccinations. But you can use it as even more proof that spending your free time pleasing yourself is a good way to spend the day.
6. Relieves pain
The endorphins and other feel-good hormones released during masturbation feel like a natural pain reliever. They help relieve the brain’s response to pain, which means that you can replace suffering with pleasure.
7. Menstrual cramps
Next time menstrual cramps are triggered, consider some self-loving instead because one of the benefits of masturbating is that it can help alleviate that discomfort. During climax, the pelvic floor muscles tighten maximally, followed by a course of maximal relaxation, which can help relieve the pain associated with menstrual cramps.
Does Masturbation Cause Chest Pain?
When you engage in masturbation, there is a rise in heart rate, thus causing boosted blood rush to the heart. This could be causing the chest pain you feel, but it does not suggest that you have a heart disease. You do not have to stress too much about it; just like while working out or doing strenuous exercise, this kind of chest pain may occur for the same reason. Orgasm has a similar impact on heart activity.
Palpitations are more typical in those who are overweight or lead an unhealthy lifestyle. You should be adopting a healthier way of life, sticking to a nutritious diet, avoiding excess caffeine and alcohol, and staying within the healthy BMI range. You can start walking or yoga to balance your physical and mental health.
What Are The Side Effects Of Masturbation?
There are no intrinsic physically harmful side effects. It is a normal and healthy element of human sexuality. However, it’s essential to note that excessive masturbation might be seen as problematic and could possibly lead to mental health concerns.
1) Fatigue
Frequent masturbation may cause physical fatigue and weakness, affecting energy levels and overall vitality. Read this article on – Does Masturbation Make You Weaker? Let’s Find Out!
Management Tips:
- Moderate the frequency of masturbation to give the body adequate time for recovery.
- Follow a healthy diet to sustain overall health and restore energy levels.
2) Sexual Dysfunction
Excessive masturbation might cause sexual dysfunction, including difficulty maintaining an erection and decreased sexual satisfaction.
Management Tips:
- Set boundaries and reduce the frequency of masturbation.
- Consider talking to a sex therapist.
3) Impact on Mental Health
Obsessive masturbation can lead to mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt and shame, etc.
Management Tips:
- Take part in mindfulness practices to promote a healthy relationship with self-care.
- Discuss your problems with a trusted confidant.
4) Interference with Daily Life
When masturbation becomes the main focus, it may hinder daily activities, work, or relationships.
Management Tips
- Set specific times for self-care to avoid dodging daily duties.
- If relationships are impacted, express openly with partners about personal boundaries.
5) Porn Addiction
Addictive patterns of watching porn and masturbation can be a concern, affecting overall well-being and quality of life.
Management Tips:
- Evaluate patterns and identify triggers.
- Use BlockP porn blocker that uses real-time content detection and AI blocking technology to filter out adult content on all your devices.
While masturbation is a natural part of human sexuality, awareness and restraint are essential to sustaining overall well-being.
FAQ on Is Masturbation Good for Heart?
1] Can masturbation cause heart attack
Contrary to the many myths surrounding masturbation and the heart, it does not cause heart attack, however an underlying condition could lead to heart problems.
2] Can an orgasm cause a heart attack?
No, an orgasm does not directly cause a heart attack but can slightly raise your heart rate, for most people with normal heart conditions, the energy levels involved in sex are supposed to be mild to moderate.
3] Does masturbation increase blood pressure
Masturbation can temporarily raise your blood pressure, but it’s not usually something to worry about as it does come back to normal.