system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does spicy food feel "spicier" when you exhale than when you inhale?
gpt
Capsaicin triggers your nerves the same way heat does. Your body effectively thinks it's being burned. Exhaled air is warm, and transfers heat to your oral mucosa as it passes by so this effect is amplified. Inhaled air is generally cooler, and removes heat as it passes through your mouth, so it has a soothing effect.