Sexually induced sneezing

Signs and symptoms

The person experiences sneezing as a result of sexual thoughts, arousal, intercourse, or orgasm.

Sneezing occurs independently of external nasal stimuli or allergens, and may occur at any point during a sexual experience.

Both men and women are affected by the phenomenon.

Causes

Mahmood Bhutta, an otorhinolaryngologist at John Radcliffe Hospital, states that sexually induced sneezing may be genetically determined, and may result from the way the central nervous system is wired:

Bhutta also states it is possible the sneezing response could be genetic.

Another possible explanation concerns the existence of erectile tissue in the nose, which may become engorged during sexual arousal, triggering a sneeze. Cranial nerve zero (also known as the terminal nerve) is also located in the nasal cavity. Its purpose is unknown, but it is thought to play a role (or used to play a role) in detecting pheromones.

Treatment

Nasal decongestants may help prevent sexually induced sneezing.

History

The phenomenon was documented as early as 1897 in 's remarks before the British Medical Association at a meeting in Montreal. It was later commented upon in print in 1901 in Gould and Pyle's Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine:

In 2008, Mahmood F. Bhutta and Harold Maxwell performed the first full-scale investigation of the phenomenon. Before their research, the most recent mention in published research was a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1972, which involved a 69-year-old man, who had bouts of severe sneezing after orgasm. The two doctors noted that men and women often sought help or explanations for the disorder on internet chat rooms and forums. Bhutta stated that these people often felt embarrassed bringing up the disorder with a doctor, and were more comfortable seeking advice anonymously. The internet, he stated, could potentially be a new tool for medical researchers to investigate unusual or embarrassing symptoms that patients might not be comfortable discussing with their physicians.

References

References

1. . (2015-01-13). ["Study: For Some, Thinking About Sex Leads to Sneezing"](https://www.foxnews.com/story/study-for-some-thinking-about-sex-leads-to-sneezing). *[[Fox News]]*.
2. (2008-12-19). "Sneezing 'can be sign of arousal'". [[BBC]].
3. (2008-01-02). "Sex and Sneezing - Every time I'm about to have sex with my girlfriend, I sneeze once or twice. Is this some sort of a biological response or what?".
4. (1897). "The physiological and pathological relations between the nose and the sexual apparatus of man". The Journal of Laryngology, Rhinology, and Otology.
5. (1901). "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine". [[W. B. Saunders]].