For many, sexual activity is a big part of peoples lives, and so getting back to this is an important aspect of recovery.
However, people can find they approach this with apprehension and can be worried about the side effects or how this will now affect your heart. In fact, over 50% of people in a British heart foundation survey were worried about sex as a result of their cardiac condition.
The good news is, sex is no more likely to cause a cardiac issue than any other form of exercise. Most people consider returning to sexual activity around 2-4 weeks after a heart attack, and sometimes a bit longer after surgery due to wound healing.
If you are concerned about returning to sexual activity, consider taking a less energetic role initially.
Some patients can experience a side effect of impotence or lacking sexual desire as a result of some of the medications. If this is a concern to you, please raise it with your nurse as we may be able to consider changes to medication regimes.
For more specific advice, please do talk to your Cardiac team.
Alternatively, follow this link to read a patient story How to deal with sex and heart conditions | British Heart Foundation.