Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic respiratory disease that not only affects the breathing function but also plays a negative role in your sex life. The fear of getting shortness of breath in between the high intimacy moments sabotage the COPD affected patient from active indulgence in the sexual activity. However this no way stops your sex life completely and with some tricks and technique, it is quite possible to be sexually active with COPD.

Along with shortness of breath, other health problems that appear on the surface when a COPD patient tries to get intimated with his partner include mucus, coughing, and fatigue. As a result of these respiratory symptoms your ability to maintain an erection as well as your speed at which you attain orgasm impacted badly in the lack of proper airflow in lungs.

No doubt the symptoms of COPD will affect your quality of intimacy but with some planned and prudent measures still, you can enjoy your sex life. When we talk about COPD’s effect on a personâ€™s sex life this doesnâ€™t simply indicate sexual pleasures only instead it covers a broader perspective.

In the lack of stamina and energy level when COPD patients fail to satisfy his or her partner, this then affects their overall well being. Firstly it becomes a matter of their self-esteem, feelings of guilt, stress, and depression arises which impacts a relationship badly. Often people start maintaining distances from their partner and consider them as guilty.

However with little modification in your poses and other sexual activities you can easily conserve your breath as well energy level. Though at a slow pace but still you can enjoy your sexual intimacy with your partner. Donâ€™t feel shy, talks with your partner. Make a plan together and donâ€™t miss the day and time when you feel energetic health-wise.

These small-small changes and steps are enough to get back and maintain the same level of pleasure and happiness in your sexual life again making it a base of a strong relationship along with coping with your COPD symptoms.

How COPD Impacts Your Sexual Activity

There are a number of ways by which COPD can affect your sex life, some of them are mentioned below-

Breathing Shortness

This is the biggest reason and way COPD impacts your sex life. This is because the moment a COPD affected person gets overexcited physically during the passionate moments and overexerts him, this high flow of energy in the body can cause shortness of breath then and there only. Resulting in the affected person has to stop the sexual activity in mid without any climax. Hence they face an immense amount of difficulty in enjoying a full-term perfect intimacy relation with their partner.

Nervousness

The pressure and fear regarding their own performance ability during sex or stress regarding the symptoms flare up in between the high intimacy moments often make the COPD patient nervous even before they actually involve in sexual activity. This is one reason how COPD affects its patients from enjoying sexual activity and their overall sex life.

Lack of Energy

COPD patients often deprived of high energy levels, and this lack of energy or frequent fatigue issues affects their mood for getting sexually active with their partner.

Sabotaging Emotions

The lack of energy in the body and fear of symptoms flare up during the mid of sex leads a COPD patient into anxiety and depression-related mental health issues. These sabotaging emotions play the role of a barrier. Hence its patient loses their confidence and remains anxious about having intercourse.

Tips to get Sexually Active with COPD

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Start Exercising

Sexual activities need a good amount of your muscle’s strength and stamina to last longer and at the same pace throughout the intimacy session. In this context, a good exercise program containing a light form of exercise like walking, stair climbing, or joining a pulmonary rehabilitation program can work great for building your strength and stamina level.

When you will practice a fixed workout routine every day your body will automatically get used to sustaining the overexertion needed during the lovemaking. Hence you will not fall shortness of breath during the sexual intimacy with your partner. Initially start at a slow pace and set only limited goals that you can follow consistently. Also, you can take a suggestion from your doctor regarding exercises that can benefit your health.

Conserve Your Energy

Just like shortness of breath, COPD patients get easily fall short of energy levels during the lovemaking periods with their partner. Hence in the lack of energy often the intimacy session ends up with an incomplete climax. So to get rid of this problem you should look for the ways that require less of your physical participation to conserve your energy till end.

For this, you can discuss with your partner and ask her to participate more actively and you can play the role of less active partner physically. In this way, you can easily save your energy for sustaining comfortably till the climax of your intimacy session.

Think Something New

Sexual activities should not be kept limited to intercourse with your partner instead it should be thinking on a broader perspective. You can do many things to please and satisfy your partner sexually, actual intercourse is not needed every time to satisfy your partner when you are affected with COPD.

As per the MD, co-director of the COPD program at National Jewish Health and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, simple cuddling and kissing to your partner do wonders in your love life. This is enough to keep flame burning and to keep your relationship evergreen no matter how old it is actually. A soft touch of love can be well appreciated by your partner and this will more excite you on the days when you physically feel energetic and stable to get intimated with your partner.

Experiment with Positions

This is a very effective trick to enjoy your sex life along with your COPD health condition. Donâ€™t simply rely on monotonous sexual positions that you are using since long past. Instead experiment with a position to recognize which one is most comfortable for you and that is not exhausting your energy level.

Make sure that you donâ€™t try those positions that put pressure on your chest as it can stimulate your symptoms. Instead, choose positions that need very less of your physical involvement and energy. In your case, the side to side position will be more comfortable and effective than the bottom to the top position. In this way, you can enjoy your intimacy session with your partner without any risk of breathing or energy shortness in between.

Have Sex at the Right Time

Having sex at the right time is the key to successful lovemaking without the risk of your COPD symptoms flare-up. Consider having sex with your partner at the time when your body is fully relaxed and well-rested so that there will be no deprive of energy till the climax.

When you will plan your intimacy with your partner at the right time this will make a big difference in your physical energy level. As at the right time both your mood and physical health will be in its optimal state hence, you can get more passionate maintaining the same pace throughout the session. This trick is really effective for enjoying your sex life along with COPD. However, make sure that you avoid getting intimate with your partner after a heavy meal intake or drinking alcohol.

Talk With Your Partner

Some people hesitate to talk about their sexual concerns and difficulties with their partner with the fear of their judgment or its impact on their relationship. This is absolutely wrong. Your partner should have proper knowledge and understanding about your actual health condition, your challenges, and risk fears.

This could be only possible if you fully open up with your partner about your sexual concerns without getting hesitated. COPD patients usually have fears and anxiety about getting shortness of breath and fatigue in between their sexual relationship with their partner.

This fear and anxiety affect their mood and longing to have lovemaking. So to cope up with these problems and to make your love life healthy and stable one talks with your partner about your fears and stress. When your partner will understand your condition then they will themselves support you and calm you down even if any triggers appear in between, so that in any condition you wonâ€™t feel distressed and can well enjoy your sex life.

Take Your COPD Medications before Sex

In order to prevent the risk of COPD symptoms flare-ups during your sexual relationship, you should take your medication just before you intimate with your partner. Many people with COPD consider taking short-acting bronchodilators that helps in preventing common COPD symptoms such as breathing shortness and coughing in between your passionate moments. As per the health specialists take your medication doses at least 15 minutes before you plan to have sex.

It may possible that the usage of an inhaler or any pills leaves an unpleasant taste in your mouth that can annoy your partner. Also, it can distract your mood affecting your good moments. So to avoid this afterward effects, make sure that you wash your mouth with an alcohol rich mouthwash after taking your medications. The usage of the same doses of inhaler that you use other times will not let you fall short of breath during sexual interaction with your partner.

Have Some Cool Fresh Breeze on Your Face

The most common COPD patientâ€™s problem during intercourse moments is that they distressed out of shortness of breath. This makes their intimacy experience a very unpleasant and dissatisfactory one that not only affects their self-esteem but also creates a permanent fear in them for further lovemaking.

So one quick solution to reduce and relieve your stress from breathing shortness issues during sexual interaction is to take fresh cool airflow on your face. This airflow can be from your window, an electric fan or a handmade fan, etc. Also, keep your bedroom area cool enough so that you wonâ€™t feel fatigued which is highly possible in hot room temperature.

Keep Your Bedroom Area Irritants Free

Keep your bedroom area completely clean as in the presence of irritants or allergens in your bed sheet and the surrounding region can easily trigger your symptoms during sex. Some common COPD symptoms aggravator includes pet dander, dust, fragrances, and smoke. So make sure that your bedroom is free of all these common lung irritants to avoid the risk of shortness of breath or coughing in between your intimacy moments.

Wash, vacuum and dust your bed sheet every day as this is the most usable place in your bedroom in which you sit, sleep and rest. Some home cleaning productâ€™s fragrance contains the risk of your symptoms trigger so avoid their usage and use only fragrance-free cleaning products.

Donâ€™t use a heavy fragrance room freshener as its high odor can irritate your nasal area. Use a HEPA air filter. Also, your personal care products such as shampoos, shop, deodorants, etc can also trigger your symptoms while getting intimate with your partner. So if this true in your case then switch those products with chemical-free, unscented personal care products.

Discuss With Your Doctor

Though COPD affects your stamina and endurance for strenuous activities but it no way hampers your ability to have sex or lovemaking with your partner. So even if you are diagnosed with COPD, donâ€™t feel fear that now on you are incapable of living a healthy sexual life with your partner.

However, if your symptoms are getting worse over time during sexual activity, then discuss this with your doctor. Chances are there that some other health conditions or medications intake is affecting your sex life other than COPD. Only a doctor can well determine the root cause of your disturbances in sex life and plan for an effective treatment measure to relieve your condition completely.

Apply the above-mentioned tricks and techniques to rebuild your sex life which has been disturbed due to your COPD signs and symptoms. These measures are extremely safe and proven one to make it possible to be sexually active with COPD for a person diagnosed with this chronic disease as well as for their partners.

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Tips To Get Sexually Active with COPD