Most people who are suffering from high blood pressure experience little if any symptoms at all, but the effect which this condition can have on your sex life if often significant and signs of sexual difficulty can sound a warning bell.

The effect of high blood pressure is to damage the lining of your blood vessels and to cause hardening of your arteries so that your heart is forced to work harder to pump blood around your body. This in turn raises the pressure in your arteries. In addition, the damage to your arteries results in a general reduction in the flow of blood throughout your body.

As far as men are concerned this general reduction in blood flow also means a reduced flow of blood to the penis and difficulty in both achieving and maintaining an erection. It also means that, even when you can achieve and maintain an erection, high blood pressure can create problems with ejaculation.

For the majority of men the appearance of the first signs of sexual dysfunction is very worrying and concern that, having happened for the first time, the problem might well re-appear. This leads some men to avoid sex so that not only does the event cause them distress, but it also often generates problems in their relationship with their sexual partner.

In the case of women the effect of high blood pressure is not as clearly defined and, at this time, has not been well researched. We do know however that high blood pressure causes a lower flow of blood to the vagina, leading to lower sexual desire and arousal, vaginal dryness and problems in achieving orgasm.

As with men, most women find this event very worrying and will again shy away from sex, putting their relationship with their sexual partner under strain.

The news in not all bad though and today there are a number of things which can be done to solve the problem, including getting your doctor to prescribe suitable medication. The first step in the process therefore if high blood pressure in causing problems in your sex life is to consult your doctor.