High blood pressure often has no obvious symptoms, but its impact on sex life can be obvious. Although sexual activity rarely poses a threat to health, hypertension can greatly impair the enjoyment of sex. Over time, high blood pressure damages the lining of the blood vessels and causes the arteries to harden and narrow. The condition is called atherosclerosis and is among the culprits in restricting blood flow to the penis. For some men, this reduction in blood circulation makes it extremely difficult to achieve and maintain an erection, a physiological condition known as erectile dysfunction. Even a single episode of erectile dysfunction can be a cause of great stress. The fear of it happening again forces some to avoid sex, which can exacerbate the problem and alienate a partner. Hypertension can also make ejaculation difficult and decrease sexual desire. Not infrequently, medications treating the blood have the same effect. Women with high blood pressure also experience problems in their sex lives. Hypertension in them can lead to decreased libido, vaginal dryness and difficulties in achieving orgasm. Some medications to treat the condition have similar effects: diuretics lower the body’s levels of zinc, an element important for the formation of the sex hormone testosterone; beta-blockers, on the other hand, can interfere with the nervous system and the way it causes an erection in a man. However, they, as the most popular medications, have their alternatives and when experiencing such side effects, after consulting a doctor, they can be replaced with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin II receptor blockers or alpha blockers. NEWS_MORE_BOX It is important that every man consults a doctor before using erectile dysfunction medication. Although sildenafil-based preparations such as Viagra, verdenafil in Levitra, or tadalafil in Cialis are safe to combine with high blood pressure medications, taking them with nitrates can be dangerous. Some nitrates in chest pain medications combined with the above medications can cause life-threatening sharp drops in blood pressure. While these medications do not cure the condition itself, but can only relieve some of its symptoms, changes in personal habits can do so. Stopping or strongly limiting smoking, healthy eating, regular physical activity and limiting salt are effective measures to lower blood pressure, returning it to a norm that does not hinder sex life in any way.