Mouth-breathing and constant sniffles don’t exactly scream “sexy time,” but you might want to reconsider. Some researchers think sex could help clear a stuffy nose for about an hour.
The research has been making the rounds again, although it was first published in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal in 2021. It even won an Ig Nobel Prize, which recognizes scientific research that makes people laugh and then think. Researchers led by German ear, nose and throat doctor Olcay Cem Bulut recruited 18 heterosexual couples to measure their nasal breathing before and after sex. They repeated the experiment the next day using a decongestant nasal spray.
For the first hour after sex, participants experienced about the same relief they’d gotten from the nasal spray. Airflow increased by 214 milliliters per second immediately after sex, compared with 235 from the spray. Three hours later, however, their congestion had returned. The spray lasted longer, and the improvement after sex was limited to participants who were already significantly congested.
Bulut came up with the idea after noticing the effect himself. He told Insider that arousal, physical activity, and “the climax at the end can possibly help to improve nasal breathing.”
A Study Found That Having Sex Can Relieve a Stuffy Nose for Up to an Hour
There are some limitations, though. The study involved only 36 people, and researchers had usable airflow measurements from 16. Everyone also had an orgasm, so there’s no way to know if sex without one would have produced similar results.
Sex can also make a stuffy nose worse, depending on the person. There’s a condition called honeymoon rhinitis that causes people to sneeze or get a runny nose when they’re sexually aroused. Doctors have known about it since at least 1875, when one reported a patient who couldn’t think about sex without sneezing. Imagine having to explain that to someone you’re dating.
Decongestant sprays have their drawbacks, too. Don’t use products containing oxymetazoline for more than three days because they can actually make congestion worse. The researchers also suggested masturbation might produce similar relief, although they didn’t test that theory.
An orgasm and an hour of nasal relief? There are worse ways to deal with a cold.
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