Mount Sinai South Nassau presents:
TRUTH IN MEDICINE
Q:Does your heart stop when you sneeze?
A: No. Your heart does not stop during a sneezing fit. Sneezing is your nose’s involuntary response to a nasal irritation.
Although it may seem that your heart takes a break during a sneeze, this is actually not the case. When you first inhale before sneezing, the pressure in your chest increases. Then, as you exhale during the sneeze the pressure drops.
This change in pressure may momentarily affect the rhythm of the heartbeat, but it doesn’t stop the heart from beating.
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