About a third of Americans have high blood pressure according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. In 2006, high blood pressure was the contributing cause of death for 326,000 Americans. High blood pressure has no warning signs or symptoms and men and women are equally affected. However for those under age 45, there is a higher incidence in men according to the CDC. Medication can control blood pressure, but some blood pressure medications have some difficult side effects in men.
Erectile Dysfunction
High blood pressure damages the lining of the blood vessels causing them to become stiff and small. Stiff and narrow arteries diminish the blood flow to the penis. This can make it difficult for men to obtain and maintain an erection that will allow sexual intercourse. Certain blood pressure medications can make this problem worse. Diuretics or water pills can cause erectile dysfunction. By decreasing fluid in the body, diuretics diminish forceful blood flow to the penis. Diuretics also deplete the body of zinc, which is necessary for making testosterone, the male sex hormone. Beta blockers a class of blood pressure medications can affect the nerve impulse required to have an erection.
Orthostatic Changes
Orthostatic changes are dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting when rising from a sitting position or lying position to a standing position. When an adult stands up, approximately 300 to 800ml of blood pools in the legs. This draws blood away from the upper body and without the quick cardiac, neurovascular and hormonal shifts necessary to maintain blood pressure the blood pressure will drop according to American Academy of Family Physicians. This drop in blood pressure affects the brain causing dizziness and sometimes fainting. Men who are on blood pressure medications can suffer orthostatic changes and should stand up slowly and stay in one place for a brief period to make sure they don't faint.
Other Effects
Men may suffer from drowsiness when on certain high blood pressure medications. Clonidine and methyldopa are centrally acting medications meaning that they act on the brain in order to decrease vascular tone. They cause drowsiness, dry mouth and fatigue. Men taking ACE inhibitors may have a non-productive cough that will not go away. Up to twenty percent of patients on ACE inhibitors suffer from this side effect according to the Merck Manual. Beta blockers can also cause a very low heart rate and spasms of the airways.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.gov: High Blood Pressure Fact Sheet
- MayoClinic.com: High Blood Pressure and Sex
- John Hopkins Health Alerts.com: Blood Pressure Medication Side Effects
- American Academy of Family Physicians.org: Orthostatic Hypotension
- The Merck Manual Online Medical Library.com: Hypertension
