Honeymoon rhinitis (or honeymoon nose) is a condition in which the sufferer experiences

nasal congestion Nasal congestion is the blockage of nasal breathing usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflamed blood vessels. Background In about 85% of cases, nasal congestion leads to mouth breathing rather than nasal breathing. ...

during

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...

or arousal. The condition appears to be

genetically determined Biological determinism, also known as genetic determinism, is the belief that human behaviour is directly controlled by an individual's genes or some component of their physiology, generally at the expense of the role of the environment, whether ...

and caused by the presence in the nose of

erectile tissue Erectile tissue is tissue in the body with numerous vascular spaces, or cavernous tissue, that may become engorged with blood. However, tissue that is devoid of or otherwise lacking erectile tissue (such as the labia minora, the vestibule/vagina an ...

which may become engorged during

sexual arousal Sexual arousal (also known as sexual excitement) describes the physiological and psychological responses in preparation for sexual intercourse or when exposed to sexual stimuli. A number of physiological responses occur in the body and mind as ...

, as a side effect of the signals from the

autonomic nervous system The autonomic nervous system (ANS), formerly referred to as the vegetative nervous system, is a division of the peripheral nervous system that supplies viscera, internal organs, smooth muscle and glands. The autonomic nervous system is a control ...

that trigger changes in the

genital A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...

s of both men and women. Women also get an itchy nose when they want to perform oral on a male partner. A related condition called

sexually induced sneezing Sexually induced sneezing or sex sneeze is a phenomenon characterized by sneezing during orgasm or sexual arousal. Signs and symptoms The person experiences sneezing as a result of sexual thoughts, arousal, intercourse, or orgasm. Sneezing ...

also exists, where people sneeze, sometimes uncontrollably, when engaging in or even thinking about sexual activity. A phenomenon presumably related to honeymoon rhinitis is the frequent side effect of nasal congestion during the use of

sildenafil Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is unclear if it is effective for treating sexual dysfunction in women. It is taken by ...

or related

phosphodiesterase type 5 Cyclic guanosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 is an enzyme () from the phosphodiesterase class. It is found in various tissues, most prominently the corpus cavernosum and the retina. It has also been recently discovered to p ...

antagonists.

References

Symptoms and signs: Respiratory system {{sex-stub

See also

References