Nosebleeds and crying during orgasm are rare — but normal responses, researchers stress

Headaches, bursts of laughter, crying and even nosebleeds during or following an orgasm are normal responses for women, new research suggests.

While these and other sensations – even including hallucinations – are rare, they are within the realm of a normal sexual response, according to a new study from researchers at Northwestern University.

“Women need to know that if they have uncontrollable peals of laughter every time they orgasm (and nothing was funny), they are not alone,” Dr. Lauren Streicher, a clinical professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a statement.

The study is the first to examine how frequently and consistently women experience these responses and when they occur most often.

The analysis was based on the anonymous responses of 3,800 women, 86 of whom said they had been affected by these phenomena.

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The women watched a video explaining the reactions on social media and then answered a six-question survey about their sexual history.

The results showed 61 percent reported physical symptoms, 88 percent reported emotional responses and more than half of the 86 people felt more than one symptom.

A third reported a headache, nearly a quarter reported muscle weakness, nearly 20 percent reported foot pain or tingling. Two percent reported getting a nosebleed.

More than 40 percent said they laughed and just four percent reported experiencing hallucinations. Some people with synesthesia – a neurological condition where senses merge, resulting in hearing or seeing colors and shapes – have said they see colors during an orgasm.

And, 63 percent said they cried and 43 percent said they felt the urge to do so.

During orgasm, the brain is flooded with the love hormone oxytocin, sex therapist Sari Cooper previously told SELF. A handful of studies have shown oxytocin may play a role in postpartum depression.

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“One could hypothesize that the release of oxytocin in people who have had traumatic or sad memories associated with past sexual relationships or events can lead to a depressed or sad reaction,” she said.

The symptoms are significantly more likely to occur during sex with a partner, as opposed to masturbation or while using a vibrator, some 51 to 9 percent, the study found.

However, only 17 percent of those in the study reported experiencing them consistently, with 69 percent saying they experienced them sometimes.

The researchers said that while only 2.3 percent of the total surveyed women responded in these manners, they wanted to help raise awareness about the conditions.

“Exploring [these] phenomena and their [causes] facilitates the ability to address sexual health and quality of life in women for a more personalized approach to sexual health care and enables health care professionals to reassure women that these phenomena are within the realm of the normal sexual response,” the study authors said.

Streicher said their findings show a need for additional study to help women address their sexual health.