There's a huge SNEEZING fetish community - and they'll do anything to get a cold

Thousands of people are titillated not just by their own sneezes, but also by watching others sneeze too

The saying goes, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade".

So with this wisdom in mind, if you're currently battling a horrid cold, there is a way of turning it to your advantage.

Sneezing to you might simply be your body's way of expelling snot and germs - the sort of bodily function pretty common at this time of year - but to a lot of people, it is SO much more.

Some people like sucking toes, others enjoy swingers parties - and thousands of people get their kicks through sneezing.

Turns out, you can quite literally fetishize anything.

As fetishes go, sneezing is incredibly popular, and the Sneezing Fetish Forum is a dedicate web space for members to share their enthusiasm and discuss their preference at length.

So what's the life of a sneeze fetishist like?

For some forum users, they view it as a sexual preference, with one man saying, "I realised that I had 'something' for sneezes when I was around eight years old.

"I would search for people sneezing on the computer almost constantly. When I would get home I would instantly go on the computer and look at stuff about sneezing for hours.

High pollen count must be like a red letter day

"Back then I had no idea why I was feeling so 'weird' but when I was 11 I figured out what a fetish was and I accepted that I had one."

Many are also on a quest to keep sneezing, which of course means making some sacrifices - i.e. being ill.

"I know this is weird," another user admitted, "but I just like being sick and my immune system is ridiculously strong.

"Maybe I just need some exposure to the cold weather to put me over the edge. So tonight I'm soaking my feet in cold water and going for a run outside."

No one said if coughing was just as sexy

Discussions also delve into the minutiae.

In a discussion called "Preferred Number of Sneezes", members voted and, it turns out, sneezing twice is the ideal number.

However, when enjoying watching others sneeze, it seems the sky is the limit, with over five sneezes being voted top.

It's easy to write fetishes off as being bizarre, even unpalatable sometimes. But is there any scientific grounding in sneezing being enjoyable, sexually?

There is the popular urban myth that a sneeze is one tenth of an orgasm.

Sneezing is nothing to do with having an orgasm

But while humans are conditioned for that release a sneeze brings - and a feeling of satisfaction after, there's no truth in the theory.

"I think the myth has to do with the erectile tissue in the nose, and how that relaxes once you've sneezed," Dr Alexis Jackman told Women's Health . "But it's definitely not the same as the erectile tissue in your genital area."

So there you go. Medically speaking, sneezing has nothing to do with having an orgasm, but can still be enjoyed nonetheless.