# Can blindness be caused by excessive masturbation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034 "2014-02-23T21:17:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/61 "2014-03-03T07:55:11Z")
I’ve read that some people can’t achieve orgasm without holding their breath and pressing down on the diaphragm(a type of Valsalva Maneuver?). Supposedly this flexes the muscles on the pelvic floor, which can increase the intensity of the orgasm. So, theoretically, someone could do the Valsalva Maneuver with such force that the retina could detach, if there was already significant retinopathy present. I don’t know if this has ever happened, though… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/62 "2014-03-03T22:13:35Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > …Every place I’ve worked at has had a stack of stick books stashed somewhere… 😕 “Stick books”? I understand it, of course, but never heard it. What’s your 10-4? > [@mandala](#): > > …All it takes to masturbate is 5 minutes… Cite? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/63 "2014-03-03T22:35:27Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > Good luck on finding sex partner(s) willing to have full-time sex for all time to come. Exactly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/64 "2014-03-03T23:03:18Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > “I swear, doc, I was aiming for the frying pan!” More proof I’ve been here too long. I get the reference. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/65 "2014-03-03T23:51:51Z")
Since almost every blind person masturbates, yes. ---
**Author:** ![bleach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bleach/32/3106_2.png) [@bleach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleach)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/66 "2014-03-04T21:06:37Z")
A common historical theme linking excessive masturbation to blindness is that: [ol] [li]Ejaculate contains zinc.[/li][li]Zinc deficiency may lead to blindness (well, more likely, night blindness or macular degeneration).[/li][li]Stop spraying your precious zinc all over the place.[/li][/ol] I’m skeptical of this theory because human zinc deficiency was a relatively recent discovery, dating back to 50 years ago or so. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/67 "2014-03-05T03:05:32Z")
It’s a great coffee table book I got for my sister. Many of the pages are large reproductions of medical illustrations from centuries ago. IIRC There was a series of illustrations showing the stages of deterioration caused by masturbation. I’d consult Ars Medica, but my sister lives several states away. In any event, it is proof that the ‘you will go blind and crazy’ myth is at least 500 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/68 "2014-03-05T05:29:33Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > All it takes to masturbate is 5 minutes. Well, so does having sex. What ? What are y’all looking at ? ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/69 "2014-03-05T09:32:43Z")
Excessive masturbation seemed to be causing me to go blind, so to reverse the it, I switched from using an up & down stroke to a down & up stroke. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/70 "2014-03-05T11:19:39Z")
Back in 2009 (to much derisive criticism in the press) the NHS in Sheffield (A Northern industrial city) issued a leaflet to schools, entitled “Pleasure”. I can’t find it on line, only newspaper reports, but apparently it carries the slogan “an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away”. It also says: “Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes’ physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Passing\_Through](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Just\_Passing\_Through](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Passing_Through)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/71 "2014-03-05T22:37:25Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > All it takes to masturbate is 5 minutes. pheh. I can be done in about 60 seconds. Just call me The Minute Man. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034/72 "2014-03-05T22:50:06Z")
On a totally unrelated sidenote…how long does a total eclispe of the sun last, anyway? Sory about any spelling erors-its hard to tpye in the dark, [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-blindness-be-caused-by-excessive-masturbation/682034.md?page=3)