Sex: unexpected remedy for a stuffy nose?

A stuffy nose can be a rather annoying symptom of colds and other winter ailments: what if we told you that going to bed could help relieve nasal congestion, but not necessarily to take a nap?

In addition to nasal sprays, decongestant teas, aerosols, and over-the-counter medications, sex appears to offer one surprising benefit, which is to offer temporary relief from nasal congestion. This potential effect of sexual activity deserves critical appraisal. So let’s see for what physiological reason it is plausible that sexual intercourse with orgasm can work as a remedy for stuffy nose: let’s only anticipate that the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system has something to do with it.

A “Nobel Prize” research

There has always been promising scientific research on how to derive additional health benefits from routine behaviors and habits. Who doesn’t want to feel good drinking coffee or eating chocolate ?

The study by some German and British researchers, led by Dr. Olcay Cem Bulut of the Heidelberg University Hospital, published at the beginning of 2021, which earned them the Ig Nobel prize for medicine. The study supports the contention that orgasmic sex can relieve congestion and improve nasal function in a similar way to a decongestant spray (Bulut OC, Oladokun D, ​​Lippert BM, Hohenberger R. Can Sex Improve Nasal Function?—An Exploration of the Link Between Sex and Nasal Function. Ear, Nose & Throat Journal. 2023;102(1):40-45).

What are the Ig Nobels?

The Ig Nobel Prize (where “Ig” stands for IgNoble, i.e. not noble, and plays on the assonance with the much better known Nobels) is a prize awarded to celebrate ten unusual or trivial results in scientific research: it has been organized every year since 1991, from the Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) journal.

The Ig Nobels are awarded to “honor achievements that first make you laugh and then make you think,” in a ceremony presented at Harvard University, followed by public lectures by the laureates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

How does it work

Why can having sex (with orgasm) reduce nasal congestion?

The soft tissues of the nose contain many blood vessels, called turbinates. These blood vessels function in a similar way to the erectile and labial tissues in the genitals: They can swell. Swollen tissue in the nose can block the nasal passages, creating congestion and making breathing more difficult.

During arousal, the sympathetic nervous system (the one that triggers the fight or flight response) kicks into action. Just like when you exercise, adrenaline levels rise and blood vessels constrict: Less blood flow to your nose means less inflammation, so your nose opens up and you can breathe easier.

However, this phenomenon can evoke an annoying side effect: as you get relief from the congestion, you may emphasize the rhinorrhea (or runny nose ). This can happen during or after sexual activity.

What connection exists between orgasm and the nose?

The theory of ” reflex nasal neurosis ” was put forward by the German otolaryngologist Wilhelm Fliess, a close friend of Sigmund Freud, in 1897: both believed that neuroses were mainly caused by sexual problems.

Fliess theorized that there were specific “genital points” in the inferior nasal turbinate that affected genital function, then postulated that reflex nasal neurosis was based on the important physiological connection between the nose and the genitals: yet, … full text

Sneezing after sex? It seems like a seemingly bizarre phenomenon, but there is a growing body of medical literature linking sneezing to orgasm, arousal, and even thoughts of sex . To date, the most widely supported hypothesis is that stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system may be involved in this event . Remember, in fact, that this controls both the sneeze reflex and sexual responses.

Why do we sneeze?

A sneeze is a semi-autonomous reflex (i.e. not totally dependent on our will) which manifests itself in the convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth and is developed to clear the nasal passages of particulate matter, infectious material and other irritants . _ Usually, it is therefore a biological response caused by foreign particles that irritate the nasal mucosa and trigger the release of histamine . In turn, this irritates the nerve cells in the nose, causing signals to be sent to the brain to initiate sneezing via the bloodstream network.trigeminal nerve .

The neural region involved in the sneeze reflex is located in the brainstem along the ventromedial aspect of the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the adjacent lateral pontine medullary reticular formation.

This region appears to control the pharyngeal, intrinsic laryngeal, and respiratory muscles , and the combined activity of these muscles forms the basis for the generation of a sneeze.

What is it about

Thinking about sex, having it, or reaching an orgasm evokes an uncontrolled sneezing attack in some people.

Sex sneezing: how and when do they occur? The person experiences sneezing as a result of erotic thoughts, arousal, sexual intercourse, or orgasm.

Sneezing occurs regardless of external nasal stimuli or allergens and can occur at any time during a sexual experience.

Sneezing and sex: what’s the link?

It may sound outlandish, but sneezing is not just a reflex that is developed to clear the nasal passages of particulate matter and other irritants, it can be induced by sexual ideation or orgasm .

But what could connect nasal and genital areas? In the late 1800s, Dr. Fleiss, a close friend of Freud’s, developed his theory of ” reflex nasal neurosis ,” suggesting the existence of erectile tissue in both the nasal and genital membranes. Unfortunately, Fleiss was never able to explain how the erectile tissue of these distant sites was connected, and after he developed a somewhat fanciful theory linking the nose to menstruation, his ideas were discredited.

Currently, stimulation of the parasympathetic system appears to be the most likely explanation of sex-induced sneezing based on the following principle: All reported sneezing triggers that arise independently of a nasal stimulus have parasympathetic outflow as a common variable .

Why does having sex or even thinking about sex make you sneeze?

The exact reasons why sex and sneezing are linked in some people are still being investigated and need further elucidation, but it has been speculated that “faulty wiring” in the autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic, specifically) is implicated . that is, the system that exercises unconscious control of, among other things, heart rate , digestion , and pupil dilation .

There are other examples of unrelated or unusual events that trigger sneezing : for example, 25% of people sneeze in response to bright light and, concurrently, there is parasympathetic activity leading to pupil constriction; rarer are people who sneeze after a meal, when … full text