NextPrevious

Human Body

Blood and Circulation

Does your heart stop beating when you sneeze?

The heart does not stop when you sneeze. Sneezing, however, does affect the cardiovascular system. It causes a change in pressure inside the chest. This change in pressure affects the blood flow to the heart, which in turn affects the heart’s rhythm. Therefore, a sneeze does produce a harmless delay between one heartbeat and the next, often misinterpreted as a “skipped beat.”