Snatiation is a term coined to refer to the medical condition originally termed "stomach sneeze reflex", which is characterized by uncontrollable bursts of
sneezing
A sneeze (also known as sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. A sneeze expels air forcibly from the mouth and ...
brought on by fullness of the stomach, typically immediately after a large meal. The type of food consumed does not appear to affect its occurrence. It is reported, based on a preliminary study, to be passed along
genetically
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar working i ...
as an
autosomal dominant
In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the effect of a different variant of the same gene on the other copy of the chromosome. The first variant is termed dominant and t ...
trait, as first described by
Ahmad Teebi
Ahmad Said Teebi ( ar, أحمد سعيد طيبي, 22 July 1949 – 22 July 2010) was a Palestinian, born in Lebanon, clinical geneticist who studied and practiced in several countries, ending his career in Canada and the United States.
Biogra ...
and Qasem Al-Saleh in 1989. The term "snatiation", coined shortly thereafter in a humorous letter to the ''Journal of Medical Genetics'' by Judith G. Hall, is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words Hall also provides the humorous
backronym
A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...
, Sneezing Non-controllably At a Time of Indulgence of the Appetite—a Trait Inherited and Ordained to be Named. Similar in nature to this condition is gustatory rhinitis, which involves
rhinorrhea
Rhinorrhea, rhinorrhoea, or informally runny nose is the free discharge of a thin mucus fluid from the nose; it is a common condition. It is a common symptom of allergies ( hay fever) or certain viral infections, such as the common cold or COVID- ...
induced by certain foods, such as spicy foods.
See also
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Photic sneeze reflex
The photic sneeze reflex (also known as Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) syndrome or photoptarmosis, of the combining form from Ancient Greek φῶς, ''phōs'', "light" and πταρμός, ''ptarmós'', "sneeze", ...