Can masturbating while you're sick make you feel better?

Just cause your nose is blocked and running at the same time doesn’t mean your sexual desire turns off. With COVID running rampant the past two years, hand washing and personal hygiene has been at an all time high, meaning that for the most part, people have been able to avoid the common cold and the usual winter flu season. If you haven’t been sick in the past two years, a small cold can seem like the end of days, so if having a little mazz break can ease some of those symptoms, why wouldn’t you?

Medically speaking

Sexual activity, including self pleasure, stimulates blood flow around the body, which can have a positive effect on treating a cold or flu. Having an orgasm has been known to improve sleep quality, strengthen the immune system, decrease stress and anxiety, and relax the muscles. It works by lowering the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body, giving your body a better immune response to illness. Arousal can also ease nasal congestion, since the increase in adrenaline means your blood vessels constrict, reducing inflammation. There’s a catch though: the nasal passage opening might mean your nose starts to run, and relief from stuffiness tends to only last for 45 mins to an hour. Lastly, the release of endorphins, oxytocin and vasopressin during orgasm promotes pain reduction, giving you some much needed relief from any headaches or muscle pains you may be having! 

The sick hornies 

Do you get extra horny when you’re sick? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Dubbed ‘the sick hornies’, that slightly confusing feeling of being pretty randy even though you’re coughing up a lung has been pretty well-documented over on reddit, even if there’s not much scientific data to explain it. It could be to do with the fact that you’ve got a lot of downtime, but hey, there are worse ways to spend your time.

Give your brain a boost

Brain fog is a real thing and you don’t have to have COVID to feel a bit spaced out and cotton-wool-y when you’re sick. Why not hit restart on your brain by giving yourself a well deserved orgasm? The surge of dopamine will not only make you feel happy and content, it also gives you a motivation boost. Another chemical released during orgasm is prolactin, which gives you that feeling of satisfaction. Feeling satisfied will allow you to approach the day in a calmer, more level-headed manner, letting you prioritise what you want to achieve. 

What are your top tips for getting in the mood when you’re sick? Let us know in the comments!