There’s a term used to describe when a person experiences unusual physical or emotional reactions alongside an orgasm . Dubbed ‘peri-orgasmic phenomena’, you might’ve experienced it yourself – some people report physical symptoms like headache or a tingling sensation in their feet, some report emotional symptoms like sadness or an urge to cry. It’s not really spoken about, let alone researched, which is why a new study set out to explore how often women might experience these extra symptoms and when they are more likely to occur. What did the study find? A short video explaining peri-orgasmic phenomena was posted on social media to recruit women who experienced it. Women could then answer an anonymous survey about the unusual physical or emotional responses they’d experienced during and immediately after orgasm. A total of 3,800 women viewed the video – of these, 86 women reported experiencing peri-orgasmic phenomena and therefore responded to the online survey. Which physical symptoms do women experience when they orgasm? Of the women surveyed, 61% reported physical symptoms, including: headache (33%), muscle weakness (24%), foot pain/tingling (19%), facial pain/itching/tingling (6%), sneezing (4%), yawning (3%), ear pain/other ear sensation (2%), and nosebleeds (2%). We don’t know much about why these sensations occur, however on the topic of orgasm headaches, experts believe it’s related to blood vessels swelling in the brain. As MedicalNewsToday explained: “When a person has an orgasm, their blood pressure increases rapidly. This surge in pressure causes blood vessels in the head to dilate quickly, which can trigger sudden, intense headaches in some people.” This change might also explain why some people experience nosebleeds. Which emotional symptoms were reported? A huge 88% of women said they’d experienced emotional symptoms including: crying (63%), sadness or urge to cry with a positive sexual experience (43%), laughing (43%), and hallucinations (4%). Crying or sadness after sex, even when it’s good sex, is also known as post-coital dysphoria (PCD). These feelings can last between five minutes and two hours after orgasm and it’s pretty common – a separate 2015 study found almost half of women surveyed reported experiencing PCD at some point in their lives. What else did the new study find? It’s not unusual to experience multiple symptoms alongside orgasm: more than half of respondents (52%) experienced more than one symptom, and 21% experienced both physical and emotional symptoms with orgasm. While most (69%) women experienced these symptoms only sometimes, almost one in five (17%) experienced them consistently. And the majority of respondents (51%) said they experienced peri-orgasmic phenomena exclusively with partnered sexual activity – while just 9% said they experienced it during masturbation, and 14% with the use of a vibrator. The study’s authors concluded that peri-orgasmic phenomena “encompass a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms”. They added: “Although rarely reported, their awareness warrants further study to help reassure women that these phenomena are within the realm of a normal sexual response and to address their sexual health and well-being.” Related... ADHD Makes Orgasming Harder, Sex Therapist Says – But 4 Steps Can Help 'I'm A Sexologist – Hypnosis Gave Me My First Touch-Free Orgasms' Yes Really – Men Can Apparently Experience Six Different Types Of Orgasm