You're enjoying a blissful moment under the covers when suddenly your nose starts running. The box of tissues, relegated to the bedside table and not intended for this purpose, proves invaluable. At that precise moment, you feel like you're coming down with something. Yet, it's not the beginnings of a nasty cold, but a common symptom of "honeymoon rhinitis." During lovemaking, all the valves are opened, including the most unexpected ones in the body.<\/p>\n
When bodies have merged and danced a frenzied waltz to climax, laughter, tears, trembling legs, or spasms may occur. This explosion of pleasure triggers a whole host of reactions, sometimes spectacular. However, no one talks about "honeymoon rhinitis," which precedes the passionate lovemaking or marks the end of the ascent to seventh heaven.<\/p>\n
No, it's not some exotic virus picked up on the honeymoon, but an "emotional" flu. It's a bit like love sickness. No sweaty palms or butterflies<\/a> in your stomach, but repeated sneezing that forces you to move away from your partner and a stuffy nose that requires several tissues.<\/p>\n At first, you spontaneously think of a seasonal allergy or the flu coming on. You can already picture yourself with a hot water bottle on your head and your nose on fire. Yet, this supposed cold disappears as if by magic, along with the excitement. This "honeymoon rhinitis" bothers you just when you're about to consummate the relationship and vanishes just as quickly. This somewhat metaphorical term is far from anecdotal. It's even part of the medical dictionary and well-documented by science. Desire doesn't just stimulate the erogenous<\/a> zones of the body; it also tickles unexpected areas.<\/p>\n This phenomenon was described in a study<\/a> published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. The researchers focused on people who sneezed when having sexual thoughts, during arousal, or at the moment of orgasm.<\/p>\n Their conclusion? It's neither in your head nor an isolated oddity. It's an involuntary bodily response. To understand it, we need to look at the autonomic nervous system, the one that manages our automatic functions: breathing, heart rate\u2026 and nasal reactions.<\/p>\n Sexual arousal strongly activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This same system is involved in regulating the nasal mucous membranes. As a result, a kind of "short circuit" can occur. In short, your body mixes up the signals. It's not romantic, but it's fascinating.<\/p>\n "Honeymoon rhinitis" is not contagious. In fact, not everyone experiences it. Researchers suggest individual differences in the organization of nerve pathways. Some people may have more "sensitive" connections between the sexual and nasal circuits.<\/p>\n This isn't the only strange reflex the human body has. Some people sneeze when looking at the sun (the famous photic sneeze reflex), others after a large meal. The common thread? An automatic, unpredictable, and perfectly harmless reaction.<\/p>\n If "honeymoon rhinitis" remains relatively unknown, it's partly because it's so intimate. Sneezing and sniffling in your loved one's ear instead of whispering sweet nothings is as embarrassing as keeping your socks on during sex. Many prefer to keep it to themselves, feeling sadly helpless. However, this glitch isn't uncommon and doesn't necessarily mean you have a neurological problem.<\/p>\n Experts are clear: this phenomenon is neither dangerous nor pathological. In most cases, no treatment is necessary. Understanding its origin is often enough to put it into perspective. And let's be honest: if the body reacts, it's because it's fully engaged in the moment.<\/p>\n Sneezing during sex is therefore not the work of a few mites or a stagnant microbe, but the expression of a desire without boundaries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You're enjoying a blissful moment under the covers when suddenly your nose starts running. The box of tissues,...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":436048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6137],"tags":[97333,97372],"class_list":["post-436044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sexualite","tag-couple","tag-relation"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rhinite-de-lune-de-miel-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rhinite-de-lune-de-miel-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rhinite-de-lune-de-miel.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":6137,"name":"Sexuality","slug":"sexualite","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":6309,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Sexuality section of The Body Optimist gives straight answers to questions about pleasure, desire, anatomy, consent and sexual health. For every orientation and every body, it informs without taboos or crudeness, busts common myths and reminds you there\u2019s no \u201cright\u201d way to experience your sexuality.<\/p>\n Talking about sex gets easier when the conversation doesn\u2019t happen in the middle of sex or right after a disappointment. Pick a calm moment outside the bedroom and use \u201cI\u201d statements: \u201cI\u2019d love to try\u2026\u201d or \u201cI feel good when\u2026\u201d rather than \u201cyou never\u2026\u201d Some couples each fill out a \u201cyes \/ no \/ maybe\u201d list on their own, then compare notes to discuss desires and limits without pressure. During intimacy, positive feedback (\u201ckeep going,\u201d \u201cI love that\u201d) guides better than criticism. And everyone keeps the right to change their mind at any time: that\u2019s the very principle of consent.<\/p>\n Our articles talk about sex with precise words, without prudishness or clickbait. They\u2019re written for women and men, straight and LGBTQIA+ people, and for plus-size, slim, older or disabled bodies, with no standard of frequency, practice or performance. This content is for information only: if you experience pain, an ongoing difficulty or a question about your health, a doctor, gynecologist, midwife or sex therapist can help.<\/p>\n Sexual consent is a free, informed and clear agreement, given for each act, that can be withdrawn at any time. Silence, lack of resistance or a yes given the day before don\u2019t count as consent. A person who is asleep, unconscious or heavily intoxicated can\u2019t consent. Being in a relationship or married never creates a sexual \u201cduty.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes. Several sexually transmitted infections, such as genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be passed on through oral sex or skin-to-skin contact. Condoms, dental dams, HPV vaccination and regular testing, especially with each new partner, remain the best protection.<\/p>\n Yes. Desire fluctuates throughout life: stress, fatigue, mental load, pregnancy and postpartum, menopause, some medications or tension in the relationship can all lower it. It\u2019s only a problem if it bothers you. If it does, a doctor can look for a physical cause and a sex therapist can help you reconnect with desire.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, everyday couple life in Love life<\/a>, and wedding planning, honeymoon included, in Marriage<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":6135,"count":405,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":6137,"category_count":405,"category_description":" The Sexuality section of The Body Optimist gives straight answers to questions about pleasure, desire, anatomy, consent and sexual health. For every orientation and every body, it informs without taboos or crudeness, busts common myths and reminds you there\u2019s no \u201cright\u201d way to experience your sexuality.<\/p>\n Talking about sex gets easier when the conversation doesn\u2019t happen in the middle of sex or right after a disappointment. Pick a calm moment outside the bedroom and use \u201cI\u201d statements: \u201cI\u2019d love to try\u2026\u201d or \u201cI feel good when\u2026\u201d rather than \u201cyou never\u2026\u201d Some couples each fill out a \u201cyes \/ no \/ maybe\u201d list on their own, then compare notes to discuss desires and limits without pressure. During intimacy, positive feedback (\u201ckeep going,\u201d \u201cI love that\u201d) guides better than criticism. And everyone keeps the right to change their mind at any time: that\u2019s the very principle of consent.<\/p>\n Our articles talk about sex with precise words, without prudishness or clickbait. They\u2019re written for women and men, straight and LGBTQIA+ people, and for plus-size, slim, older or disabled bodies, with no standard of frequency, practice or performance. This content is for information only: if you experience pain, an ongoing difficulty or a question about your health, a doctor, gynecologist, midwife or sex therapist can help.<\/p>\n Sexual consent is a free, informed and clear agreement, given for each act, that can be withdrawn at any time. Silence, lack of resistance or a yes given the day before don\u2019t count as consent. A person who is asleep, unconscious or heavily intoxicated can\u2019t consent. Being in a relationship or married never creates a sexual \u201cduty.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes. Several sexually transmitted infections, such as genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, can be passed on through oral sex or skin-to-skin contact. Condoms, dental dams, HPV vaccination and regular testing, especially with each new partner, remain the best protection.<\/p>\n Yes. Desire fluctuates throughout life: stress, fatigue, mental load, pregnancy and postpartum, menopause, some medications or tension in the relationship can all lower it. It\u2019s only a problem if it bothers you. If it does, a doctor can look for a physical cause and a sex therapist can help you reconnect with desire.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, everyday couple life in Love life<\/a>, and wedding planning, honeymoon included, in Marriage<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Sexuality","category_nicename":"sexualite","category_parent":6135}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436044"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":436316,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436044\/revisions\/436316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} How science explains it<\/h2>\n
Why are some people more concerned?<\/h2>\n
A bodily reaction that is still poorly understood<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Sexuality section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you talk about sex with your partner?<\/h2>\n
Talking about sex, taboo-free<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is sexual consent?<\/h3>\n
Can you get an STI without penetration?<\/h3>\n
Is it normal to have a lower sex drive?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Sexuality section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you talk about sex with your partner?<\/h2>\n
Talking about sex, taboo-free<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
What is sexual consent?<\/h3>\n
Can you get an STI without penetration?<\/h3>\n
Is it normal to have a lower sex drive?<\/h3>\n