Sneezing following a big meal -- hereditary?

I searched for this on the SDMB using a few different strings – the only thing I learned is that people have a lot of questions about sneezes, but few definitive answers.

If I’ve eaten a big meal, I am almost immediately thereafter stricken with a violent sneezing fit that seems to last for about 5 minutes. Sneeze after sneeze for about 5 minutes, then it stops. There’s nothing unusual about the sneezes, nor in the fluid produced. It came on about 5 years ago for me (I am now 36) and it happens only after big meals where I’ve perhaps stuffed myself a bit too much.

The only other person I know for whom this is a phenomenon is my mother. However, here’s the catch – my mother has not stuffed herself in many years. She frequently forgets to eat, in fact.

So here are the questions:

  1. Why does this seem to happen?
  2. Does this happen to anyone else?
  3. Is there some kind of hereditary link to this kind of phenomenon?

I would be hugely surprised to learn that anyone had ever conducted a scientific study to learn the answer to this.

Maybe it’s related to this phenomenon, which remained unresolved. (Thread from 2002: Why does my nose run after I eat?)

Could it be related to sneezing after sex (which I often do)?

I can vouch for its existence and its hereditary nature. All the men on my dad’s side of the family sneeze a certain number of times after some meals - we always thought it was a reaction to a particular type of food, but perhaps it is simply a matter of stuffing ourselves. It doesn’t happen to me very often, but for some reason after most big meals (most commonly ones that include wheat or butter as ingredients) my dad will sneeze exactly eight times (occasionally 7 or 9 but the number is 8 uncannily often). He says that his father did the same thing, and that his older brother often sneezes several times after eating cucumber.

With all due respect, what you can do is offer anecdotal support.

Yes. In other words, what I already said.

That always happened to my mom and it started happening to me a few years ago. I’ll usually only sneeze a few of times. It doesn’t seem to have to do with what I eat, just the fullness of my stomach. It happens even if I’m mostly too full from drinking water with a meal. Usually I have to be so full that it feels like I can’t breathe in enough to start the sneeze.

I recently lost 30 pounds and, now that I think about it, it hasn’t happened to me since. A few times I’ve eaten enough that it would have caused sneezing before I lost weight. My mom was very overweight, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Well, this might surprise you: Autosomal dominant sneezing disorder provoked by fullness of stomach. A S Teebi and Q A al-Saleh - Journal of Medical Genetics. More of a case report than a study however.

In a follow-up letter, another person suggested that this be referred to as snatiation - which, while obviously a portmanteau, could stand for “Sneezing Noncontrollably At a Tune of Indulgence of the Appetite-a Trait Inherited and Ordained to be Named.” The author does point out

Searching for snatiation gets you a lot of websites regarding this phenomenon, including at least one rule 34 result.
Apparently there is enough compelling evidence, that the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man website by Johns Hopkins University lists it as Gastric Sneeze Reflex. Searching for that gets a lot of references to Dr. Oz, who is probably where much of the “I heard…” bits are coming from.
People in genetics must be a little strange - apparently photic sneeze reflex has acquired the backronym “Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst Syndrome” :rolleyes:
From some of the other websites I found while looking this up, sunlight and overeating don’t seem to be the only stimuli - one blogger sneezes two or three times after plucking one hair from her eyebrow.

I personally do sneeze occasionally after a meal, as did my father. In my case, it seems to be more likely to occur after a particularly enjoyable meal, rather than simply overeating. Perhaps a cross-over from the “sneezing after sex” reflex?

Having a runny nose after dinner happened to me for some time in the last year, but now I don’t often experience that no more.

My dad would do this too-not me tho (adopted son).

FWIW, when I do sneeze it almost always is in twos.

Once, after taking X-rays, my dentist commented that my sinuses were huge. In most people, the sinuses are little bubbles behind the cheekbones. Mine come down almost to the roots of my teeth.

It seems plausible to me that when I chew food, the pressure on the teeth could travel up the roots, and exert pressure on the bone surrounding the sinuses. Which could easily cause–irritation?–stimulus?–to the mucous tissues lining the sinuses. Which would explain why my nose runs after I eat a big meal.

I think I inherited the trait from my father. I think one of my brothers also inherited it.

My nose itches like crazy when I eat salty foods sometimes - bodies is weird.

I don’t sneeze after eating a big meal, but I do look at the sun and sneeze sometimes. Apparently my maternal grandfather used to do that, too.

I belong to a weight-loss surgery board, and I’ve seen a LOT of people reporting sneezing after eating after having their stomach size greatly reduced. I’ve always assumed it had something to do with pressure on the vagus nerve.

Thread hijack…YEAH, a familiar face!!!

I never had issues sneezing following my eating. I do now…but then I had weight loss surgery almost 8 months ago…I start sneezing as my “I’m full” signal!

Liz

Hi just saw your post after once again sneezing house down after half a pizza!any food sets me off really annoying when we go out for dinner and everyone saying bless you as your trying to finish your pudding as you don’t feel full but can’t eat no more
Pudding as your sniffling and eyes are watering my mum and aunt uncle have same problem I’m only petite size nobody mentions what size they are wondered if this has anything to do with it relatives are petite size too.i just want too have a three course meal!!!