Having sex, especially with orgasm, may provide headache relief—but not for all people. In some cases, sex may trigger or worsen headaches. The benefit can vary person to person, but as long as your doctor doesn’t recommend against it, you can experiment and see if it’s helpful to you.
If sex helps ease your headaches, it’s likely that the type of sex doesn’t matter—whether oral sex, intercourse, masturbation, or other types.
While there isn’t plenty of research on the topic, a 2013 study has shed some light on this phenomenon. Researchers surveyed 402 people who had migraine or cluster headaches. They found that a majority of people with migraine and about a third of people with cluster headaches found relief through sex.
The relief that sex provided didn’t depend on the type of sex it was. Sexual position didn’t matter either. However, there was a strong correlation between headache relief and orgasm or other peak sexual excitement:
- 43% of people with migraines said they found relief from their headaches shortly after they orgasmed or after the height of sexual excitement
- 17.7% of people with migraine found relief during orgasm
- 20.3% found relief within a half hour after orgasm or peak sexual excitement
Orgasm may not be necessary, though. About 20% of people found relief as soon as sexual activity began, not necessarily linked to orgasm.
There are many different types of headaches: migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches, menstrual headaches, thunderclap headaches, headaches caused by medication, and others.
But the research on headaches and the effect of sex is limited, without much information on how sex impacts different types of headaches. The 2013 study, for example, looked at just two specific types of headaches: migraines and cluster headaches. Here’s what they found:
- Migraines: Sex improved or resolved headaches for 60% of people with migraines, but 33% said that sex made their headaches worse.
- Cluster headaches: 37% of people with cluster headaches found improvement with sex, but 50% said their headaches got worse with sex.
Some research has found that regular exercise can prevent migraines in some people. The theory is that certain chemicals released during exercise, such as endorphins, may help decrease the chances of a migraine occurring.
Similar mechanisms may be at work when it comes to sex and headaches. It’s theorized that endorphins released during sexual excitement and orgasm may help relieve headaches. Other factors may include:
- Distraction from pain
- The overall body and mind relaxation that comes after sex or orgasm
- Changes in blood pressure and blood circulation that occur during and after sex
- In people with vaginas, stimulation of the back of the vagina during sex may relieve headache pain
Some people find that sex makes headaches worse.
There’s a headache condition called primary headache associated with sexual activity, or primary HSA. It occurs when you have at least two headaches close to when you had sex, and when the headache pain increases during increased sexual excitement.
Sometimes these headaches are similar to a dull headache that gets progressively worse. At other times, they’re are more like thunderclap headaches, which are headaches that feel explosive or throbbing.
Research suggests that about 1-1.6% of people experience headaches linked to sex. It’s more common in some people, including:
- Men
- Middle-aged adults
- People who are overweight
- People who have high blood pressure
- People who have family who get headaches brought on by sexual activity
There are many ways to treat headaches. These include:
- Over-the-counter pain medications such as Advil (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen), or Bayer (aspirin)
- Prescription medications, which may include antidepressants, triptans, and others, depending on the type of headache you have
- Biofeedback
- Meditation
- Relaxation exercises
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Physical therapy
- Massage
- Lifestyle approaches including regular exercise, getting seven to nine hours of nightly sleep, and staying hydrated
If you have frequent headaches that make it difficult for you to function in your daily life, it’s important to visit a healthcare provider to get a diagnosis. Some headaches are caused by underlying health conditions, and a healthcare professional can help treat those underlying conditions, if needed.
Sex can help reduce or eliminate headache symptoms for some people. Research suggests that sex and orgasm are helpful for migraines and cluster headaches, in particular. No type of sex or sexual position is more helpful than others, though having an orgasm may be beneficial.
Other people find that sex makes their headaches worse or causes new headaches to begin. If this is the case for you, other options may help you find headache relief.
