Doctor Oz was asked by Mary-Anne, a woman in his audience, why she sneezes a few times in a row whenever her stomach is full or when she has a large meal.
Dr. Oz said that some people (very few) have a stomach sneeze reflex. Your stomach has auto pilot nerves that tell your brain when it is close to full, and these nerves are very close to your sneeze nerves. In only 2 families have scientists seen where these nerves cross on so people sneeze when they are full. Very interesting!
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My father, my brothers and I all sneeze when we are full. My father is no longer living, but my brothers and I always know when we’ve had enough to eat.
This happens to me too, I didn’t know it was rare.
my Mother also has this same reaction after eating even a moderate meal
this also runs in my family – on my dad’s side – my dad, his sister and me. I have been teased about this for years! I am so excited to hear of others who do the same thing.
My wifes brothers, 3, and 1 sister has this happen. We have only one child, a son who is also following his aunt and uncles.
My husband does this sometimes to the point of ridiculous! I have seen it so often that I can predict that it will be at least 7 but rarely more that 15 sneezes. I have researched this often but with no satisfaction. Just last week I found out that his sister and brother do the same thing, but not to the same extent! So glad I saw it today on the show!
My wife also has this disorder where she sneezes anywhere from 6 to 8 times after a meal. If anyone has more information on this, please E-Mil me. Thank you
For years I have thought I was having an allergic reaction. I tried writing down what I had eaten when this happened to find a common food. But there wasn’t one. It is great to know what it is now.
My Father has always had sneezing fits (6-10 sneezes in a row). It’s nice to finally know why he does this!
This happens to my dad, brother, and I. I always get mad fun of. My friend called me up and told it was on doctor OZ!
In our family it is only the women who sneeze – the men simply sniffle.
So far the younger generation is neither sniffling nor sneezing. Interestingly, my grandmother sneezed, on average, 3 times; my mother 13 times; I started at 3 but have moved up to about 6.
I have this same issue. My allergist prescribed a nasal inhaler to be used prior to eating. I have not tried it yet. Here’s to a quiet dinner!
This happends to me also, but only since my RNY Gastric Bypass. I almost always sneeze three times.
Perhaps not so rare. My daughter-in-law also has this phenomenon.
I also have been sneezing after being very full from a large meal for about 10 years now. It seemed to have started when I was about 18 and has continued. It can be anywhere from 3-20 times in a row. I also had Pyloric Stenosis at 2 weeks old and was wondering if that may have anything to do with it. No one else in my family (that I’m aware of) has this issue. Good to know I’m not the only one with this weird little problem…LOL!
My father (deceased) always sneezed after he ate but I don’t know of anyone else in the family who did/does. If there are only 2 families that this phenomena was found in, does that make us all related somehow or is it really not so rare?
I have been doing this for years. I didn’t know why and now I do. Thank you Dr. Oz.
I also have this. it only started with me about 3 years ago after i had gastric bypass surgery. I thought i was alone with this but it seems more have it than anyone realizes. I usually sneeze anywhere from 6 to 10 times in a row.
My sneezing fits started in the mid 80′s and continues today. I sneeze at least 16 times in a row when my stomach gets full. It can be embarrassing especially when people start staring… I am glad to know that I am not alone…….
My Dad always sneezed multiple times after a big family feast. I have been sneezing after a big meal since my twenties (now 51). My husband always found it amusing! I usually sneeze around 13 times and that’s my lucky number! Hey, everyone likes a good sneeze or 13.
My Dad, my twin sister, and I all sneeze after we eat. Thanksgiving is very interesting!
this has been going on since my teens… i’m now in my early 30′s… i’ve never met anyone else who’s had this before… i’ve seen 2 different dr’s about 12 years ago who laughed as they thought i was joking and said they’ve never heard of such thing and that they weren’t related… has anyone found more information on this?
I’ve been sneezing after meals for most of my life, Nice to know why!
A friend of mine told me about seeing this on the show. Its funny its ran in our family for years. I didn’t even know it was unusual, until after a big meal, i started sneezing and told my wife, “i ate to much!”. She gave me a funny look, but my mom, brother, uncles, and cousins all have this! Maybe not as rare as i thought!
ive always thought i was weird for sneezing when i was full. now i know its not that weird. i also sneeze if i have winterfresh gum. now i know why. hmmm
This runs on my dad’s side of the family as well – my dad and a couple of uncles sneeze anywhere from 4-10 times depending on how full they are. I have it, too, and sneeze exactly 3 times when I eat too much. So weird!!
It started in my adult years. I could never figure out why the sneezing happened at some meals but not others. I now realize that it’s triggered when I’ve eaten too much. It’s like having a built in portion control button. When my nose starts to run I know it’s time to put the fork down. My Mother also has this happen, and my Father in-law. I wonder if this could start happening to either of my kids?
It started when I was an adult, I never had this issue when I was a child. After several years of putting up with I went in and asked the Dr. (at the time we lived in PR). He told me that I was not having allergic reactions to any food, it was my body’s way of telling me that I was full. The trick was to learn when I was almost full and stop eating. My family would always get a kick out of this issue because they would laugh at me and say uh oh – Mom must be full! I have it almost under control but there are times when I will have a sneezing attack. Is this something that is genetic, do my kids have to worry about this issue? I am surprised to see how many people in the world actually have this problem. I use to think it was just me. thanks for airing this health concern.
I wonder if there is in fact some connection between everyone who has replied on here saying they have this full stomach – sneeze reflex… what are your family’s origins and backgrounds? How fun would it be if some of you were long lost, distant relatives!
I have sneezing after meals for years. I had the gastric bypass last year and even sneezed after my liquid meals. I still sneeze after a meal but no one else in my family does. None of my cousins, children or grandchildren have ever heard of this. If it is in the family genes wouldn’t someone have it in mine too?
Thank you for airing this topic.
does anyone know where this study is being done? I would love to be a part of it?
I have been doing this for years, and had previously asked my doctor about it and he had never heard of it. Also, a co-worker of mine and her sister both do this as well! I am so happy I am not the only one!
This happens to me as well, about half an hour after a large meal, it used to always happen at supper at restaurants and always thought it was due to additives in the food, msg, etc. Now I understand its just the large portion sizes (which still keep growing and growing).. The stuffiness and congestion after meals began in my early 20s and has gotten gradually worse to full blown sneezing attacks in to my mid-40s now. I have also developed IBS in the last 15 years, so I wonder if it’s all related somehow..they say half your brain (nerves) are in your digestive system..)
I have been doing this for years as well……..my husband used to always laugh at me and always have the extra napkins ready cause when i was done with my meal i will sneeze about 3-5 times!! it was so exciting to see and hear that this an actual problem that other people have and i wasn’t just strange ha ha ha thanks so much dr oz for this info!!
Thus happens to some of my family too from my mom’s side. Sometimes if I’m eating something that’s really food, I eat it fast so I won’t get full so quick, because once I sneeze I cannot eat another bite. Lol
i had no idea this happened to other people at one point i thought i was alergic to the dishwasher powder lol!
I’ve been sneezing when I am full for over 20 years. I just thought I was a freak or something. My family just watches me sneeze 9 times after every meal…especially if I have eaten more than usual. Glad to know others have the same issue.
I am the only one in my whole family to sneeze after a big meal, and have been doing this since I was a kid.
My family thinks that it is really strange. I am sixteen and I don’t eat meat (On account I think its disgusting, so pork and beef is a no go) so when I do eat it isn’t that much. However, occassionally when I go to eat at a resturant or when I do eat something that fills up my stomach. After I am done eating I sneeze exactly ten times. And it really bugs me. Anyway to stop this problem?
Very cool! Well, not really, but we all see to suffer from about the same thing. I honestly thought it was just me. Mine though almost ALWAYS happens when I eat out, usually at a nice restaurant. NEVER happens at home almost ALWAYS happens EVERYTIME when I eat out.
Okay so it is a built in portion control; so people with this are thinner than the ones who do not have this sneeze trigger? I’m not ultra skinny or model skinny just avg size 8 to be exact, but I have always been the skinny one in my family. This trigger must be from my Dad’s side and he is Norwegian. I don’t know that side of the family so I can’t say for sure, but on Mom’s side I am the rare sneeze r after large meals.
I have been married to my husband for 18 years. He has always sneezed with in minutes after eating a meal. Only 2 to 5 minutes after every meal he will start sneezing…usually about five times with in seconds of each other. Seeing so many people post here makes me question just how “rare” this really is.
OMG! After telling a few friends that I always sneeze when I am full, one looked it up on line and found out it really does happen and I am not crazy….. although it mostly leads to a headache. I have been doing this for years, and for years people thought I was nuts!!!! I will gladly share this web site..
It’s embarrassing, having to excuse myself after a meal… esp at a restaurant. I thought maybe an allergy to spices, or, recently… msg? I just don’t know… it’s been going on for years. Tom… hachoo!
OMG I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT I SNEEEZE WHEN I AM HUNGRY ASWELL?????!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ME? ANYONE ELSE SUFFER FROM THIS?
Mine started 5 1/2 years ago following gastric bypass surgery. My husband and closest friends all know when I’ve eaten to much (as that is the only time it happens). I’ve gotten better over the years of eating slower and knowing when I’m about to hit that point of fullness, so it doesn’t happen as often. But I will have myself a sneezing fit for 5 – 10 minutes following a meal that I had to much of.
Interesting discussion. In the 1990s a group I was in launched a web site on photic sneezing : ie the phenomenon where people sneeze when suddenly exposed to bright light, typically the sun, but other bright sources too for some people. We did this because in those days none of us had ever heard of anyone else (at least outside our own families) who had the reflex. Now, fifteen years later, there is a lot of information about it and even a Wikipedia page in several languages.
We very soon received messages from people who experienced both sneezing in the sun and also after eating – generally a large meal, and eventually we heard from people who only experienced the sneezing after eating and not after being exposed to the sun.
So it seems to indicate a related reaction – the theory of strands of the trigeminal nerve crossing would seem to account for both.
I wonder how many of those who responded here also experience photic sneezing?
I started sneezing when I ate too much when I was 18. I am 32 now and I still do it. I am glad to know there are others out there like me…
At first my friends didn’t believe me but as they were around me more and more they realized it was true!
I am trying to find out why I just sneezed 23 times in a row, and half sneezes while sneezing. No, I did not eat. It tends to happen at this time of the day, and yes the sun is in my livingroom. I do not look at unless I can feel it coming, and it does not work. I am allergic to everything, not joking.
I have been sneezing when full since the onset of adulthood. I am the only one on either side of my family with this condition. I also have hyperhydrosis that is more connected with the humidity level than temperature. The aggrevating thing is when I eat something that, not necessarily hot, but spicy or tart, will cause my head to sweat profusely, to the point that it is running in rivulets down my face and neck. Just a little mustard on the soft palate and I’m soaked. I have often wondered if these two conditions were connected.
I do this too. After every meal i sneeze when i am full. But no one in my family does this besides me… iss it hereditary?
I started sneezing after every meal since I had my daughter 4 yrs ago….I sneeze 15 to 20 times after I am full….I am glad to know that im not alone in this….No one else in my family has this..that I know of….I want to know if it will cause long term affects?
My father and I both do this, my mom said it’s how she knows she made a great dinner. We discussed this at a family meal and my fathers Aunt also did it. My father, who is one of 10 children is the only one that inherited it and my sister did not inherit it and none of my cousins (over 30) have inherited it, so even in the same family it is fairly rare.
My husband and I sneeze several times after a large meal. My son thinks we’re nuts because he doesn’t do it.
I’m glad I am not the only one. And great to have some sort of explanation. I like to claim I am allergic to over eating and give it undo credit for my thinness.
But it is quite annoying and when I am with company i try to make sure I never cross that threshold, which normally means I go hungry or at least less than satisfied.
and no one else in my family does it either.
I asked a question, why do I get cramps when I sneeze? The answer was: the stomach is full, but that’s not the case for me. I was getting ready to eat breakfast, and I sneeze and my stomach cramped up….Why is that?
After I eat (usually after lunch) and (always after dinner), I sneeze because I’m full… and what’s really weird is that I feel less full after sneezing, which I want to know- is THAT normal? To feel less full after sneezing… I’ll sneeze for about 10 minutes and then it’s gone.
After I eat (usually after lunch) and (always after dinner), I sneeze because I’m full… and what’s really weird is that I feel less full after sneezing, which I want to know- is THAT normal? To feel less full after sneezing… I’ll sneeze for about 10 minutes and then it’s gone.
WOW, there are alot of us out there! Again I thought I was the one and only, ha on me!
When i’m out and people look at me, I just tell them its allergy’s. It’s really nice to have an explanation finally! I just kept thinking I was allergic to overeating, but that didn’t stop me:)
Thank you Dr. Oz!!
p,s.
Dr. Oz, I think those scientists need to do more studying on this subject!!
I am one of six siblings, my father started the sneezing for us. Four of the six of us have this.
We’re lots of fun at Thanksgiving!
My paternal grandmother and father did this, and I do. I can tell though, that if I ate another couple of bites or finished my drink, I would go into a protracted sneezing fit. My record so far is 13. I also sneeze when I pluck my eyebrows or brush with minty toothpaste. Just a little stink from something burning off a stove burner may set me off. My nose is also very sensitive and I pick up on just wafts of scent that others don’t notice. The nose knows, I guess!
My daughter and I both do this after eating too much. It’s usually when we eat out. You know, we think if we’re paying for it, we’ve got to eat it all. lol Anyway, she is 25 and I am 48. People think I’m nuts when I say I always sneeze when I’ve eaten too much, but it’s the truth. Any suggestions to make it not happen or to stop it? Thanks.
Thank you Dr Oz, it’s great to finally have an explanation and find others out there! A few years back I asked my doctor about it and he thought it was very odd but had no explanation for it. I was recently diagnosed with a hiatus hernia and I the only thing that works to control my reflux is to avoid overeating. So perhaps my body was always trying to tell me to stop eating!
thank god im not the only one…..i have a slew of health issues all including my head nose ears throat and migraines and right after i eat (not necessarily full) but when im finished i get extremely congested (having to spit extremely thick mucus out) and sneeze uncontrollably until i blow my nose so hard it hurts, afterwards i feel like i have to throw up and sometimes do……but afterwards say 15-30 mins it goes away and im left with just the pain of blowing my nose, a nasty pot-nasal drip (which i have ALL of the time), and the feeling of nausua. ive heard of gastary rhinitis (spelled wrong) but never been checked or diagnosed but all i know is it sucks and makes enjoying food almost impossible, not too mention extremely embarrasing. any help you could give doc would be greatly appreciated.
signed, tired of going to doctors who tell me theres nothing wrong!!!!
I have been sneezing when I’m full most of my life. No one in my immediate family does this, but my grandfather did. I would love to know other symptoms that may occur. For example, a higher intolerance to medication? Is it harmful to sneeze 10 times or more a day? Can it make you more prone to sinus issues over time?
I would appreciate more research and / or information.
I do this and think its funny.. but it only started after I had gastric bypass.. My brother sneezes when he eats something greasy…
I am so relieved to find out I am not the only one! I have done this for years, and I am the only one in my family who does it. Everytime we go out to a nice restaurant and I eat until I am full, I start an episode of sneezing attacks. My husband gets embarrassed by it, my kids think its hilarious. I also hiccup whenever I take a drink of soda or alcohol, every drink, pretty much every time.
Ha I do this too. I was pregnant with # 2 when It happened. Went away and after # 3 it stayed. Everyone laughs at me. They think it odd. I sneeze about 5 to 6 times and then I am done.
I’ve been sneezing like this for at least 25 years. My dad sneezes when full, and so does his father. It’s quite funny when the three of us all start in within minutes of each other.
I do this all the time, when im full and i am so sick of it. Some foods i sneeze more too. I am soo sick of sneezing. I think i am allergic to dairy as well. But alot of times its just because i eat to much. My liver is absorbing fat too. First thing that happes is my nose gets filled up and then comes the seezing and then i feel drained and discombobulated!
I do this when my stomach is empty. I might have a little pang (or not) and I can feel the impulse start way down in the pit of my stomach and it feels like it just flows up my middle and explodes out in a sneeze or three. I have never experienced it on a full stomach.
My dad and I do this also. All of my friends think I am full of $@&* or just a freak of nature, but now I can refer them tk this information!!! Thanks
I started sneezing after I had gastric sugary at least my girlfriend knows when I’m full lol.
both me and my mom sneeze when full, and I mean a fit of many sneezes lol, so I guess it is hereditary
My husband does this also!
my brother likes to say i allergic to the bill!!! but i to do this and never understood why.. ty dr for finally shedding some light on this issue.. i thought i was the only one!! we need to to get a support group together hahaha!! i think ill stop eating b4 i get full see if that helps my sneezing fits!!! woohoo !! im not a freak of nature!!!!
my husband, son and daughter do this everytime they are full. Doesn’t seem to be that rare???
I sneeze when I’m full. My sister and my father also have this. This leads me to believe it is hereditary but no Dr has ever confirmed it.
I too sneeze uncontrollably when I am full. It’s more than just a few though, and they are violent sneezes. I also sneeze when I’m nauseous. I’ve done this since I was a child. I’ve never talked to a doctor about it because it’s always been there. I just deal with it…but it IS odd.
I sneeze whenever I overeat. Almost every Friday night at my moms when she makes a big meal and I pig out. Sneeze for about 10 minutes or so. Feel congested in my sinus’s for awhile then I usually get really tired and fall asleep for an hour. Interesting. I always thought it might be a particular food, went and was tested for food allergies, but there was no commonality about the foods that triggered me other then I ate too much. It took me years to figure it out. Glad to know I am not unique.
i sneeze several times as i’m falling asleep, every time i fall asleep. what could be the reason for this?
My sister and I both sneeze when we are full. Some people think we do this on purpose…voluntarily. I’m glad to know that it is something that actually exists and I can refer them to this site!
Hi,i have been sneezing when full for 12 years now and put it down to a hiaces hernia in my diaphram,thinking that when i was full my stomach expanded and put pressure on my lungs due 2 the hernia,…also i thought that it may be smoking related,is there any sence in my thnughts,also i notice from the comments made that this seems to be more common in women, do u have any thoughts on this Doc?
I used to sneeze violently most every day and since having surgery to relieve a compressed spinal cord at c 5 I have not sneezed in 4 yrs anyone have any answer for me thanks
I did this too. I purposely don’t eat to that point and I noticed that I have dropped 15 pounds because I’m not eating to be full but eating several small meals intead. The sneezing was getting annoying especially when going out to a restaraunt. Try the smaller meals several times a day the sneezing will stop.
I have only done this since I had my Gastric Byass Surgery.I will sneeze many times and feel a little bit less full but I take that as a sign to not eat more anyway…. even if I really want something on my plate. Like tonight. I want my peas…. oh well.. they will have to wait for snack lol.
My Step mom has this, I know there is a special name for it! It starts with an S!
Does anyone know?
What is this sneezing-stomach fullness reflex called? Is there a name for it?