6 Surprising Things That Can Happen When You Have An Orgasm

There are many terms for it: Orgasm. The Big O. Climax. Coming. Getting off. Ejaculation.

But no matter what you want to call it, there’s one thing most people are in agreement on: Orgasms can be seriously satisfying.

For many people, the orgasm process is pleasurable but fairly predictable: There’s the buildup, those toe-curling contractions, followed by a feeling of well-being and relaxation. But occasionally, some unexpected stuff can occur, like sudden headaches, sneezing or crying. (The causes of some of these phenomena are still a bit of a mystery because there isn’t a ton of data on orgasms. And the data researchers do have is based on small sample sizes.)

Below are just a few of the surprising things that can happen when you have an orgasm. Some are rare, and others are more common, but all are a reminder that our bodies are curious things.

1. You might get a headache

A burst of pleasure and then — ugh — the pain of a splitting headache. Post-orgasm headaches are more common in men and among people who suffer from migraines, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most of these headaches last just a few minutes, but they can persist as long as a few hours or even a couple of days.

“While some people report a dull ache that increases as they get aroused, most people [who experience this] report a severe and sudden headache just before or during orgasm,” Laurie Mintz, the author of Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters—And How to Get It, told HuffPost.

It’s not totally understood why these headaches happen, though some experts believe it has to do with a spike in adrenaline coursing through the body during sex.

Most sex headaches are nothing to worry about, but in some cases, they could point to an