Minor Heart Defect Can Cause Stroke After Sex (Part 2)

PFO is common and can be found in one out of every four adults. The connection to the stroke is that 40 percent of people who suffer a cryptogenic stroke, which is one with no known cause, have a PFO. And the PFO’s trigger point is typically excessive strain that affects blood flow, such as during an orgasm, combined with a blood clot that breaks free and enters the heart, falls into the small opening, and follows through to the brain. This makes the entire process a relatively uncommon one, but the connection is significant enough to inspire more research.

Upon investigation of the patient, it was discovered that she did have one risk factor for clotting, which was her prescriptive birth control pills, which can lead to blood clots. And the woman did have a blood clot in a main vein of her right leg, which was the clot that found its way through her heart at the moment of her sexual experience, which ultimately caused her stroke. The patient was ultimately advised to cease taking the pills and schedule surgery to repair the heart defect, though the surgery is not recommended for the majority of people with a PFO.

In essence, many factors must collide at the precise time to coincide with sex for such a stroke to take place. Biller’s study noted that this should not be a concern for the average person. He emphasized, “This is a rare occurrence.”

Strokes, on the other hand, affect more than 700,000 Americans each year. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately 160,000 of them do not survive, and many who do live with serious disabling consequences like partial paralysis and compromised brain function.

Some of the risk factors for stroke, especially in younger people, are migraine headaches, drug use, diseases that cause blood clotting, and athletic injuries that can cause a tear in neck arteries.