Your doctor can’t write you a prescription for this sweet relief for your clogged nose—and you certainly won’t find it on pharmacy shelves.
asserted
you → write → shelves
A new study reveals that the best congestion remedy is tangled in your bed sheets.
asserted
remedy → reveal → sheets
Scientists have long-found that mild to moderate physical exercise can temporarily relieve nasal congestion.
asserted
exercise → find → congestion
Push-ups, for example, can provide quick relief by opening your nasal passages and reducing inflammation that may be affecting them.
uncertain
that → provide → them
But current researchers tested another form of cardio.
asserted
researchers → test → cardio
German researchers discovered that having an orgasm clears up stuffy noses just as effectively as commercial decongestant sprays, according to a trial involving 18 brave couples willing to get intimate – strictly for science.
uncertain
having → discover → science
The only device involved during the “testing” was a handy nasal airflow instrument.
asserted
device → involve → testing
Participants rated their breathing at home on a 10-point scale and measured airflow using a portable rhinomanometer.
asserted
Participants → rat → rhinomanometer
Readings were logged right before sex, immediately after orgasm, and at the 30-minute, one-hour, and three-hour marks.
asserted
Readings → log → marks
Data only made the cut if both partners hit peak satisfaction.
asserted
partners → make → satisfaction
The following day, couples picked up a dose of xylometazoline—a standard over-the-counter decongestant spray—to see how nature’s remedy stacked up against the drugstore aisle.
asserted
remedy → pick → aisle
Results showed that reaching the big finish provided sinus-opening airflow that was on par with the nasal spray for up to an hour.
asserted
that → show → hour
Average airflow surged by 214 mL/s right after an orgasm and hit 249 mL/s at 30 minutes, before beginning a gradual decline to baseline levels.
asserted
airflow → surge → levels
The trusty nasal spray boosted airflow by about 235 mL/s immediately and 287 mL/s at 30 minutes.
asserted
spray → boost → minutes
This relief lasted up to three hours.
asserted
relief → last → hours
While a climax may offers a more enjoyable fix, the spray wins on staying power.
uncertain
spray → offer → power
Scientists also noted that bedroom therapy was only tested on everyday stuffiness—no heavy colds or severe sinus infections were fixed under the covers.
asserted
colds → note → covers
Relief also depended on how subjects initial congestion level.
asserted
subjects → depend → ?
Those suffering from major blockage, according to their Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) questionnaire scores, enjoyed significant clearance after sex, whereas folks with mild sniffling saw barely any change.
uncertain
folks → suffer → change
Lead researcher Olcay Bulut suggested that a mix of excitement and physical exertion work together to open up tight airways.
uncertain
mix → suggest → airways
The researchers acknowledged major limitations of couples self-reporting their pleasure and airflow measurements, so the team could not confirm if instructions were truly followed.
uncertain
instructions → acknowledge → measurements
Back in 1897, physician Wilhelm Fliess—a close buddy of Sigmund Freud—first pitched a bizarre link between the nose and the genitals.
asserted
Fliess → pitch → nose
While modern researchers debunked his wacky theories, this study suggested the physiological connection between sex and sinus clearance can be legit.
uncertain
connection → debunk → sex
Previous research shows nasal airflow improves with exercise intensity rather than how long you workout—meaning in this study, ‘session’ length matters far less than simply finishing the job.
asserted
length → show → job
And for those flying solo, researchers are curious about if self-pleasure works just as well.
asserted
pleasure → fly → those
The authors proposed future studies that would add comparison groups for masturbation and for intercourse without orgasm.
asserted
that → propose → orgasm
If solo activity worked similarly, they wrote, it might offer a natural alternative to decongestants, a possibility that remains untested.
uncertain
that → work → decongestants
The Aporia
