Peri-orgasmic phenomena explained as expert reveals why some people get nosebleeds while climaxing

Not many people would admit to doing something embarrassing when they orgasm, like making a strange noise or even crying.

But experiencing strange symptoms during sex, like nosebleeds or even hallucinations, might not be such a weird side effect of climaxing, a new study has found. For some, these 'peri-orgasmic phenomena' might actually be a sign that everything is working just fine.

Gynecologists exploring the under-researched field of the female climax have found that experiencing fits of laughter, uncontrollable crying, headaches, hallucinations, and nosebleeds can all be normal side-effects of an orgasm.

The small study, published in the Journal of Women’s Health, is understood to be the first of its kind to explore how frequently these issues can occur, as well as how common it is for women to experience what they call 'peri-orgasmic phenomena'.

Your nosebleed might have ruined the moment, but it's perfectly natural (Getty Stock Image)

Lead author of the study, Professor Lauren Streicher of Northwestern University, said: “While there have been case reports of women laughing, crying or having unusual physical symptoms during orgasm, this is the first study to characterize what these phenomena are and when they are most likely to occur.”

Streicher and Professor James Simon of George Washington University used social media to elicit responses from women on a subject matter that many might find too embarrassing to speak about in person.

Of the 3,800 women, 86 respondents detailed their experience of these peri-orgasmic phenomena, showing the researchers that these side-effects might not be as rare as previously thought.

61 percent reported experiencing physical symptoms when they climaxed, while 88 percent said they had felt a strong emotional response.

More than half (52 percent) experienced several of the symptoms, while around one in five (21 percent) had both physical and emotional responses to having an orgasm.

The lead author argued that recording these symptoms was an important part of normalizing the spectrum of female sexual experience.

Laughing uncontrollably in the bedroom can be off-putting but it's normal (Getty Stock Image)

Professor Streicher said: “Women need to know that if they have uncontrollable peals of laughter every time they orgasm (and nothing was funny), they are not alone.”

Despite the wide variety of symptoms reported by women in the survey, only 17 of the 86 respondents indicated that they consistently experienced these orgasmic side effects.

They also found that women were more likely to experience them during sex, with only 23 percent achieving during masturbation or with a vibrator.

What peri-orgasmic symptoms were reported by the women?

Physical symptoms among survey respondents

• Headache (33 percent)
• Muscle weakness (24 percent)
• Foot pain/tingling (19 percent)
• Facial pain/itching/tingling (six percent)
• Sneezing (four percent)
• Yawning (three percent)
• Ear pain/other ear sensation (two percent)
• Nosebleed (two percent)

61 percent of participants reported experiencing physical symptoms when they climaxed (Getty Stock Image)

Emotional responses among survey respondents

• Crying (63 percent)
• Sadness or urge to cry with a positive sexual experience (43 percent)
• Laughing (43 percent)
• Hallucinations (four percent)

While this small-scale study showed the spectrum of peri-orgasmic phenomena that women can experience, larger numbers are needed to establish just how widespread these symptoms are.

Just 2.3 percent of those who viewed the video soliciting responses from women about their stranger climax symptoms filled out the survey said they had experienced a physical or emotional response.

“Normal and common are not the same thing,” Professor Streicher explained to BBC Science Focus. “Also, this survey does not reveal the true prevalence of these symptoms. Many people who viewed the [social media post] with symptoms may have chosen not to respond.”