Do Heart Patients With Defibrillators Suffer More From Sexual Dysfunction?

When heart beat gets abnormal or irregular then in can be normalize with the implantation of defibrillators which is also called cardioverter defibrillators or ICD. ICDs help the patient to get normal rhythms of heart but can disturb your sexual life. Yes it is hard to believe but true as according to the research presented in American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions heart patients with ICD can have sexual dysfunction.

This dysfunction can be due to their heightened fear of defibrillators delivering shock during their intercourse session. ICD is built to deduct the irregular heartbeat and at that moment it delivers shock so it also delivers shock during sex which becomes fear factor for many.

This shock related fear becomes the prime reason for disturbance in sex life of both men and women however men feel more the effects of erectile dysfunction due to this fear of shock during physical activity.

Studies have shown that there is decrease of 15 % in the persons having sex even after six months of defibrillator implantation.  Sexual dysfunction either in men or women can create many further problems for both couples. As this dysfunction not only affects their sex relationship but also their usual relation and even their journey of being parent can also be disturbed due to this fear of shock delivery.

However the heart patients have given some other reasons for decrease in sex after implantation like mood swings or sexual health but studies have stressed more for fear factor. Cardiologists could not give the clear claims for the reasons like mood or sexual health as some patients feel shy to discuss their sexual life with cardiologists after implantation.

It is true that heart patients with ICD implantation can have disturbed sexual life but there is not any medical factor responsible for it, it is only the fear in the minds of patients that stops them to enjoy their sexual life.

To overcome this problem of sexual dysfunction of such patients, doctors must give proper counseling to them to eliminate their fear of shock which is only lies in their mind as such there is nothing dangerous happens during sex after implantation. Only the guidance of experienced doctors can help the patients to come out from shock anxiety so that they can enjoy their sexual life without fear.