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This is snot a joke.
When you’re sick, trading bodily fluids may not be the best idea — and certainly, having trouble breathing through your nose can make sex tricky.
But if you’re all stuffed up and don’t have any decongestant spray on hand, scientists found that some in-between-the-sheets action could clear out your nostrils — with a small caveat.
Orgasms don’t just feel good — they’ve also been shown to offer stress reduction, brain benefits and even reduced cancer risk.
And according to a small study published in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, clearing nasal congestion can be added to the list.
Researchers in Germany recruited 18 couples experiencing everyday stuffiness. Just how stuffed they were was measured with a self-reported ranking and a device called a rhinomanometer. This was done before sex, after sex, and on a different day after using decongestant spray.
They found that reaching climax cleared stuffy noses about as well as the decongestant spray… albeit for a limited time frame.
The orgasmic effect lasted for an hour, but faded within three hours, while the medicine continued to reduce congestion by shrinking swollen blood vessels in the nose.
Average airflow readings from the device rose to about 214 milliliters per second right after sex and to 249 milliliters after 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the nasal spray increased airflow by 235 milliliters right after use and then 287 milliliters 30 minutes later.
However, three hours later, nasal breathing went back to the level it was at pre-sex.
The effects also fluctuated based on how congested someone was beforehand, with participants who scored above 30 on the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) seeing significant improvements in breathing through their nose after sex.
Those who scored lower on NOSE — indicating mild nasal obstruction — only saw small improvements.
The study didn’t explain why sex might clear up a stuffy nose. However, the researchers suggested that arousal, excitement, physical activity and orgasm may all work together.
Other research finds that the increased blood flow throughout the body may also play a role in decongestion, specifically affecting turbinates, or the blood vessels in the nose.
When we’re aroused, our sympathetic nervous system (the fight-or-flight response) kicks in, and adrenaline levels increase while blood vessels constrict, meaning less blood flow to the nose.
There were limitations with the study, as participants rated nasal breathing themselves and airflow readings were only available to 16 of the 36 people involved.
Future studies could add comparison groups to see if intercourse without orgasm or masturbation have similar effects.
The researchers believe solo orgasms, for example, may provide a natural alternative to decongestants, which shouldn’t be used for more than three days, as it makes congestion worse.