Talk:Sneeze/Archive 1

Archive 1

Which animals sneeze?

which animals sneeze? dogs and cats do -- do all mammals? -- Tarquin 12:08 23 May 2003 (UTC)

I dont think whales, dolphins and other mammals that live in water, sneeze, but am not sure. Most land mammals probably do sneeze (there probably are some exceptions though). — Preceding unsigned comment added by HJV (talk • contribs) 01:28, 24 April 2005‎

The big deal probably isn't which mammals sneeze (because a large variety of animals sneeze) but rather how they sneeze. Such an example could be sneezing only through the nose or mouth. --Laundrypowder 04:37, 24 July 2005 (UTC)

An interesting paper on differences between sneezing and coughing. Upper airway motor outputs during sneezing and coughing in decerebrate cats. just for note.

Relationship between sneezing & bright light

Sometimes the bright light source triggers the sneezing, and I experience this personally. Can anybody explain why this happens? - w3bu53r —Preceding undated comment added 07:36, 21 July 2004‎ (UTC)

Sun-Sneezing

An excellent question. This is far more complicated than you might imagine. Since the detailed answer below got kind of long, I will summarize the main points up front. About 25% of people do actually sneeze when exposed to bright lights like the sun. We do not know exactly why this happens, but it might reflect a "crossing" of pathways in the brain, between the normal reflex of the eye in response to light and the sneezing reflex. There is no apparent benefit from "sun-sneezing", and it probably is nothing more than an unimportant (but annoying) holdover of evolution.

There are actually three questions here:

1) Do people really sneeze when they look at the sun? This is an important question! There a lot of things that people say they do that they don’t really do. I personally do not sneeze when I look at the sun, and for a long time I thought this was a myth. But I am guessing that you are a sun-sneezer from your question. It seems that some people really do sneeze when they look at the sun, or actually at any bright light but there might be a difference since the supectrum of sunlight is quite unique compared to most bright light sources encountered. This has been recognized in medical journals for at least 40 years, and is called different things, including the "photic sneeze reflex" and even the "ACHOO syndrome". In a few instances the reflex has been documented by shining bright lights at people to make them sneeze, so it probably really does happen.

The thing is, the sun does not make most people sneeze. The best estimates are that only about 25% of people (i.e. 1 in 4) are sun-sneezers, and even sun-sneezers don’t do it most of the time. Other studies suggest that sun-sneezers might have inherited the trait in a dominant fashion from their parents (which means that if only one parent was a sneezer, they would pass the trait on to half of their kids). The problem with these estimates is that they generally rely on asking people if they sun-sneeze, and if their parents do. This is VERY unreliable. People who sun-sneeze tend to assume everyone does, and people who don’t sun-sneeze have often never even considered the possibility!!

2) What is the mechanism by which sun-sneezing occurs? What actually makes it happen? The simplest answer is that we don’t really know. There are many theories that I won’t get into specifically, since most require a detailed understanding of brain anatomy to even describe. What I will try to do instead is to briefly explain the nature of the sneeze reflex and offer a simple understanding of how light might act as a trigger.

What is a sneeze? Well, everybody knows what a sneeze is, but try and describe it sometime! The fact is, a sneeze is a very complicated thing, involving many areas of the brain. A sneeze is a reflex triggered by sensory stimulation of the membranes in the nose, resulting in a coordinated and forceful expulsion of air through the mouth and nose. A "reflex" means that some type of stimulation of your body causes you to react in a way that is NOT under your control, in other words you do it automatically without thinking and you can’t even stop it. Your body has many reflexes - the other one important to us here is called the "pupillary light reflex". If you shine a light in your eyes, your pupils get smaller, or constrict. You should be able to see this easily in a friend using a flashlight (or in the mirror).

In the pupillary light reflex, shining a light in the eye causes nerve signals to go from the eye to the brain and then back the eye again, telling the pupil to constrict. In the usual sneeze reflex, tickling the nose causes nerve signals to go from the nose to the brain and then back out to the nose, mouth, chest muscles and everything else involved in the actual sneeze. The key point is that the nerve signals take complicated routes through the brain, but usually the pupillary light reflex and sneeze reflex take different routes. Apparently what happens in sun-sneezers is that shining a bright enough light in the eye ALSO sends nerves signals from the eye to the brain and then back out to the nose, mouth and chest! In short, the wires are crossed a little bit in some people, and so shining a light in the eye "accidentally" activates two different outgoing pathways.

3) What is the benefit or value of sun-sneezing? Is it a good thing? Again, not an easy question! Some people argue that it must be a good thing since the trait has been maintained in our population. I’m not so sure.

What is the benefit of sneezing in general? The easy answer is that the thing tickling your nose might be a bad thing (like a virus, bacteria or pollen), and sneezing forces it out. The problem is that most adults sneeze mainly through their mouth, and so sneezing won’t force anything out of the nose. This is in contrast to most animals, who sneeze largely through their nose (watch your dog or cat next time). So I think that sneezing really serves little purpose to humans (little kids might be an exception to this). I think that sneezing is important to animals that rely heavily on the sense of smell, but that in us it is just an annoying "holdover" of evolution. But that is just my opinion.

But even if a normal sneeze does function in ridding the nose of foreign materials, I can think of no reason why shining a light in the eye would create a need to force things from the nose! And in the several papers I have read on this subject, no one else gave a reason why sun-sneezing would be beneficial. Sun-sneezing must truly either be an accident of brain anatomy, or an evolutionary holdover from our animal friends, that serves no purpose in humans.

Thanks for a very thought-provoking question. Keep ‘em comin’!

Tom Wilson, MD PhD — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.130.169.177 (talk) 16:05, 25 August 2004‎

Thanks for the answer W3bu53r —Preceding undated comment added 16:24, 17 September 2004‎ (UTC)

Er. Above is from this page. (I sneezed and was bored, so I Googled "sneeze". Not my C&P.) --Cuervo 21:55, 20 May 2005 (UTC)

Not that this should help one bit, but I "sun sneeze" and I had always heard that it was a way of your body telling you not to look directly at the sun. I was skeptical about that explanation. -- Tim 2:31, 19 November 2005

Why do you guys think about sunlight for eyes, eyes and eyes? Have you ever thought about the heat? Don't people feel a rush of heat through the body when hit with the sunlight, what if it's something similar to that happening to the nose or whatever causes the sneeze. Not saying it's true but nobody said anything about that. Freda, 14 Jan 05 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.62.183.175 (talk) 03:33, 15 January 2006‎

I can look directly into the sun and have nothing happen to me but rather when I have been in a rather dim lit area (example- my classroom in highshcool) for an extended period of time and then I exit that room and enter a sun filled area (exe- the courtyard) I used to sneeze almost 100% of the time. I know it has nothing to do with the protection of your eyes but rather could it be a natural reaction of entering a new enviroment (exiting a cave and going into the sunlight) and your body assuming there is going to somesort of new iritant that you might not want entering your body and you protect yourself by getting rid of that first blast of what ever could have entered your body. I am an extemely healthy person and have gotten sick only 2 or 3 times in the last 10 years. I have no alergies and haven't ever been effected by anything in the enviroment. This might seem like a stupid idea to other people but reading all of the other ideas, it ranks up there for me. It has a cause and effect and even a long lasting reason to keep it around. Thanks for reading and please comment. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.202.144.156 (talk) 00:43, 27 November 2006‎

This is called Photic sneeze reflex 67.171.222.46 (talk) 05:19, 11 October 2010 (UTC)

Quirky Fact Validity?

== Quirky Facts == Jean-Marc Godbout of Ottawa, Ontario holds the world record for a continuous sneezing fit, currently at 3 years, 6 months and 4 days (and counting.) Yi Yang of PRC, holds the world record for the loudest sneeze at 176db.

The "quirky fact" about Jean-Marc Godbout seems both inaccurate (what date did he start sneezing on?) and implausible. I can't find any mentions of his record on Google either. At this point I'm tempted to think that whole line is just vandalism that went unnoticed. Does anybody else think it should be removed? Tronno 04:15, Jan 7, 2005 (UTC)

Neither of the 'Quirky Facts' have a reference, and cannot be easily verified. I've removed them from the page and reproduced their content here. If a reliable reference can be found, I'd be happy to see the section re-instated. --PJF ^(talk) 23:48, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Here's one from Guiness World Records [1]: This time though it's Donna Griffiths and 978 days. Not too sure how reliable Guiness are, though =P RolandDeschain —Preceding undated comment added 00:12, 5 April 2005‎ (UTC)

Speed of sneeze

The article currently claims the maximum speed of a sneeze is "146 km/h (90.74 miles per hour)". I'm sure there's debate about the maximum speed, but we should at least make the km/h and mph values agree. I'd correct it, but I don't know which is right!

For reference 1mph = 1.609..km/h. Smb1001 18:47, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)

I'm in favour of the maximum speed section being removed until a suitable reference can be found. The current speed information is internally inconsistant, and there are no references or other material that's backing it up or can be used to verify the statements that have been made.

The whole article currently reads like on of those 'did you know' e-mails that seem to get endlessly circulated by bored office workers.

Unfortunately, I'm not an expert on sneezing, but I hope that we can find someone who is. I'm going to sprinkle a few appropriate templates and request peer review. The article needs a good fact-checking and review. --PJF ^(talk) 02:05, 27 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Well, some people sneeze through their nose and others out their mouth, so the speed really depends on whether it exits out the nose or the mouth. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.177.47.194 (talk) 19:06, 6 July 2006‎

Orgasms?

This peice has degerated into little more than a tabloid excuse for an article. "Orgasms amongst humans can also cause sneezes" should be left out. If the person who wrote that wants it left in he should make another piece called Sneezing Facts and also list sources of this misinformation Cokehabit 14:59, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Why is it a NPOV dispute?????--LordVin1 22:14, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)

OP must have confused this story with Jackie Mason(?)'s appearance on Johnny Carson. He told a joke about a friend who had an orgasm whever he sneezed. The man went to the doctor, who couldn't explain it. Jackie (in his joke) asked the friend what he was taking for it. The man said, "Pepper!" Sympleko 19:40, 12 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It is true that orgasms have been known to cause orgasms in human males. Ridethefire3211 00:58, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

Yes, I usually have at least one orgasm when I have an orgasm. (Did you mean sneezes? :P) --Cuervo 21:56, 20 May 2005 (UTC)

I LOL'd, But seriously I've heard from SOOOO many people that a sneeze is like one tenth of an orgasm or something. where can we learn if that's true and shouldn't we at least include that in the article as a Urban Myth (Or fact if it's true.) 71.176.181.194 (talk) 21:14, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

I added the sentence back in (although in a better place in the article than before) because is has been medically documented that certain people sneeze after climaxing. I'm not sure of the reference off-hand but I can probably find it (it was mentioned in a Penthouse advice column back in the day). - DNewhall 18:27, 30 June 2005 (UTC)

Eyeballs

The reflex of shutting the eyes serves no obvious purpose [...] If you do try to keep your eyes open while sneezing, your eyes may fall out (from a Horrible Science book).

What? I don't know, if closing my eyes keeps them from falling out, that seems like a pretty obvious purpose to that reflex.

What is meant by that? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Njaard (talk • contribs) 23:06, 1 September 2005‎

Absolutley false, i mean just look at any of the further readings. Your eyes do not fall out with ease. D-rew 14:28, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Your eyeballs are connected to your head through muscles, surrounding tissue, and your optic nerve, which would prevent it from falling out. In any case, Mythbusters did an experiment in which they sneezed with their eyes open. Nothing happened to remotely prove that your eyes can fall out. Viet|Pham (talk) 22:57, 18 May 2009 (UTC)

Purpose of shutting eyelids

It is almost impossible for a person to keep their eyelids open during a sneeze. The reflex of shutting the eyes serves no obvious purpose: the nerves serving the eyes and the nose are closely related, and stimuli to the one often trigger some response in the other.

I disagree with the above paragraph. Squeezing the eyes tightly shut while sneezing prevents delicate capillaries from being ruptured by the sudden and dramatic rise in blood pressure that occurs during the sneeze.

[Above comment left anonymously in article and moved here] -EDM 19:40, 12 November 2005 (UTC)

Has that ever been shown though, or is it just sort of assumed. I've always heard the no purpose thing, but the capillaries kinda sorta makes sense --D-rew 14:28, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

I have also heard the possibility that closing the eyes developed through evolution in order to prevent flying stuff from impacting the eye. It makes sense; imagine what life was like for the critters who were scrambling around when these reflexes were taking shape. But I strain at this line a bit: "Because the closing of the mouth is partial, a considerable amount of this air is usually also expelled from the mouth and eyes." On very rare occasions I have felt and heard a small amount of air seeming to escape through the eyes, but 'a considerable amount'? I don't think so. Perhaps some through the ears. But not being certain I left the word 'eyes' unedited. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Emdrgreg (talk • contribs) 21:00, 16 February 2012 (UTC)

Disadvantages of impeding sneezes

Is it true that when you block a sneeze (holding your nose, for instance) it can hurt your brain or something in your body? I'd really like to know. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ultranol (talk • contribs) 18:37, 22 November 2005‎

If you hold your nose shut, it's possible to blow your eardrums out, I believe. 67.65.218.81 04:01, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

You can't "blow your eardrums out", but you can increase pressure. So if they are locked, for instance, they can open. The increased pressure in the nose, as in the ears, may cause damage if the area is already sore. For instance, having had a nosebleed just before, the wound might still be a bit open, and closing your nose while sneezing might open it again. --Tmh 19:56, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't get it. You don't sneeze out your nose, you sneeze out your mouth!

.. on a separate subject, does anyone else ever experience horrible lasting aching pain after some sneezes? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.122.63.142 (talk) 17:51, 27 September 2006‎

I often feel dizzy or my throat is a bit sore — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.186.210.111 (talk) 03:49, 7 March 2007‎

sneeze volume--citation??

I'm skeptical about the claim just added by user 38.98.87.5, that the decibel volume of a sneeze is correlated with immune function. I searched medline, and google, and didn't come up with anything. Can you (or anyone) provide a reputable source for this? (if it's indeed "widely accepted by the scientific community" then it should be easy to find.) Otherwise, I think it should be removed. tej 10:07, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

Smells associated with sneezing

For the last couple of years, when I sneeze I can smell honey. People nearby me can too! Google'd this and found a couple of blog references to other people who this happens too - anyone know why? {{subst:unsignedIIP2|20:47, 18 May 2006‎|82.69.107.152}}

I have nothing solid to base this opinion on, but I think the cause and effect here might be reversed. It's probably an allergen that smells like honey causing the sneeze in the first place and not the sneeze causing the perceived odor. DoGooderJohnnyD 21:48, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

My brother promises that dark chocolate makes him sneeze every time he eats it. Is this a common experience? Can anyone explain why it might be? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.162.112.60 (talk) 18:02, 14 September 2006

Watch Willy Wonka. It happens to me too. Pixies. 06:21, 23 February 2008 (UTC) Achoo —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.169.0.13 (talk)

As far as the honey sneeze goes, I have experienced this too. There's another section of this talk page about "honey sneezes". I'm a little skeptical that the smell and sneeze are both caused by an allergen, as DoGooderJohnny said. If that's the case, why don't we smell it beforehand? I find this to be a very interesting phenomenon. It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while I'll sneeze and then have a honey-like smell in my nose! It's really cool. I just lap it up, because it's a great smell, like you have an awesome-smelling flower in your nose. Mmm... Anyway, it would be cool if someone found some kind of reliable reference about this, so that info about it can be included in the article, because it's obviously not an isolated incident — I would hazard a guess that this has happened to enough people that it warrants mention in this article. So, in my spare time, if I think to, I will look for sources detailing why this occurs... Ciao! NoriMori (ノリモリ) 03:33, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

Bless You

Last night (27/10/06) on QI on BBC 2, one of the players said that sneezing could be related to the Plague, but Stephen Fry said that it is most definitely not (as in the plague does not cause sneezing, although the lemmings that first carried the plague [not rats] did sneeze to pass it on). --rjcuk 22:32, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't see it, so I don't know exactly how the conversation played out, but that might not have been what the player was referring to. I've heard quite a bit that the phrase "bless you" was shortened from "God bless you", because people in medieval times believed that sneezing allowed evil demons to enter your body (or good spirits to leave? Or something to that effect?). That may have been what the player was thinking of, and he probably just associated it with the plague even though it's not technically related. NoriMori (ノリモリ) 03:38, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

Pronunciation

There's a huge number of pronunciations in ridiculously wordy descriptions which need to be converted to IPA. I would be willing to do it, but the volume is huge, I don't have much time, and I'm not completely familiar with the wikimarkup for IPA. Could anyone else have a go? Quendus 13:53, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Sneezing thru Nose or Mouth?

I've seen and heard claims that "most" people sneeze thru their nose or thru their mouth. Is there any actual data on how many use their nose or mouth (or both)? 67.188.71.65 01:35, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

How many times

I usually see people sneeze twice, why is that? Sometimes once, sometimes a lot... but usually only twice. Another way I keep from sneezing is pluging my nose and mouth and trying to breath through both those spots.... that will stop it --Colinstu 04:06, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

I know only one person who literally always sneezes twice. But most people I know seem to sneeze in a similar manner as myself, once or in rare cases more.Ђ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 156.17.227.94 (talk) 19:21, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

I almost always sneeze twice as well. Very rarely I will sneeze always once, leaving me with a feeling of unfulfillment... And even more rarely I will sneeze three times. I recently met a girl who says she usually sneezes three times. NoriMori (ノリモリ) 17:18, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Article missing content

There is a lot missing, like what is sneezing (detailed description of how it happens, what it involves), what causes it, why, what is its purpose. --Xerces8 13:58, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Rewrite is needed

This article needs a rewrite. Wikipedia is not a dictionary, nor is it a translation dictionary; the long list of unsourced tranlations for "sneeze" has got to go, as does the remainder of unsourced material. I see that this has been identified as needing sources a few months ago, I will be pruning back the unverified content later this week. Burntsauce 21:50, 4 June 2007 (UTC)

Connection between sneezing and pleasure centers

OK. I have a serious question. What, if any, is the connection between sneezing and pleasure centers in the brain? I know for me, sneezing is a very pleasurable experience and I'll get kinda pissed if I feel one comming on and it won't happen. I've always likened a sneeze to a type of "nasel orgasm". By this I don't mean that sneezing produces any kind of sexual stimulation, but that the sensation is much the same only centered around the nose rather than the genitals. Can anyone comment on this? Hell, maybe it's just me.Mightyafrowhitey 10:12, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

I love sneezes too. I read somewhere that some people don't like them and try to prevent them, while some people enjoy the sensation and welcome a sneeze. I'm in the latter group. I, too, get pretty pissed if I feel a sneeze coming and then it goes away (not to mention that my nose kind of hurts when that happens). NoriMori (ノリモリ) 17:20, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Honey Sneeze

Hi there, Just a note that I added the Honey Sneezing bit. I am a honey sneezer and I haven't found any other sources online than the one discussion I cited. I'm hoping other people will find more sources for this strange phenomenon. Cheers! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Wearyweary (talk • contribs) 23:16, 10 August 2007

Is a "Honey sneeze" a sneeze where afterward you smell a sweet smell? Because I sometimes get that. I'd like to know more about it. NoriMori (talk) 02:14, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

Um, hello? Does anyone know what a "honey sneeze" is? If we're going to find sources for it, we need to know what we're looking for, so that we can know if our sources are reliable... NoriMori (talk) 21:44, 17 January 2010 (UTC)

I also smell honey when I sneeze... Apparently it is quite common... but there is no medical explanation for it... weird. - Chris — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.1.43.131 (talk) 01:37, 13 August 2011 (UTC)

I get a sweet floral smell when I sneeze which I guess could be described as a Honey Sneeze, and my wife can also get the smell so it's not something strange happening to my sense of smell. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.97.163.163 (talk) 11:51, 10 April 2012 (UTC)

I experience this as well, somewhere between honey and flowers. Two theories I've heard that seem plausible: 1) hydrolized yeast protiens (aka MSG) dislodged during the sneeze, and 2) mild ketosis noticeable during the sneeeze. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.172.38.119 (talk) 15:33, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

It's your blood sugar. Common in diabetics. Doesn't mean you necessarily have a problem, you can still be in the normal range, but toward the high end. Sweat and bodily secretions would also have a slightly sweet smell (and taste). 219.101.196.2 (talk) 12:38, 5 October 2012 (UTC)TexxasFinn

Sneezing and Urination

I am, it seems, physiologically incapable of urinating while I sneese. If I'm urinating, and I sneeze, the urine flow stops. (I'm male). My wife, though, sometimes pees a little bit when she sneezes. (She's birthed two kids). We've sometimes argued about which of us has the more "normal" condition. Well? Who does?71.236.159.236 16:33, 18 August 2007 (UTC)

You know, I did too. Yes, I'm a female.NightMoonXD (talk) 23:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)NightMoonXD

Traditional responses to a sneeze

In the above topic in the main article, the discussion is confined to western (understood broadly) culture. Do the Chinese have something they say when one sneezes? Africans? American Indians? Eskimos? Australian aborigines? Thai, Laotians, Vietnamese? Do cultures exist where no one makes a response to a sneeze? If so, why? What would make people of some cultures prone to respond to a sneeze and others not? My allergies at times have me sneezing frequently and I find the responses irritating, more so than the sneezes. Do others find such responses irritating? Jm546 14:13, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

• Agreed. There's already a bit about traditional Muslim responses but the world wide scope needs to be expanded. But as to where to get that info, it seems that people stumble across this article and add their own cultural responses/experiences if it isn't already there. It might be next to impossible to reference each response pattern unless someone has recently compiled a book on such a topic. Dogsgomoo 14:11, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

The article writes about saying "Proost" in Dutch after a sneeze. Although one specimen might not make a real argument, I (as a Dutchman) would consider it inappropriate to say "Proost", I never heard about it too. Bacchuss (talk) 14:56, 23 September 2008 (UTC)

Sneezing Etiquette?

Could we add a section on how our/other cultures conduct themselves before/during/after a sneeze? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Albino Bebop (talk • contribs) 21:11, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This is partially covered by Sneeze#Beliefs and cultural aspects but it would be nice to have this enlarged. I made some inquiries into this through Google Answers some time ago, but there is little information around. The practice of saying something after one sneezes extends to India at least. I think this geographical repartition demonstrates that the superstition is extremely ancient, possibly prehistoric. However a Japanese acquaintance tells me that in their culture it would be rude to say anything to someone who sneezed, as it would draw attention to the fact! It would be interesting to know how Chinese, Australasian and American Indian cultures respond to the sneeze. Nick Michael 13:37, 14 September 2007 (UTC)

The speed of sneezing

Such a low use information to need so much detail; it's described in 42 different types of measurement. --Leladax (talk) 14:02, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

Dangers of stifling sneezes

Shouldn't we cover this? People say you can damage your eardrums - is this true? This page has some interesting stuff on it though some of the sources aren't reliable. What do other people here think? Malick78 (talk) 07:36, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

I came here just to find this out, so I definitely think this should be covered.Bro4 (talk) 03:08, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I nearly blew out my right eardrum blocking a sneeze several years ago, and now I have tinnitus in that ear. Willbyr (talk | contribs) 15:49, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

Enjoying a sneeze

Do people generally like or dislike sneezing? Why would one want to prevent a sneeze (the article covers some rumored ways to prevent them)? Personally, I enjoy sneezing, it gives a good feeling, no idea why. 193.190.253.144 (talk) 20:15, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Some people don't like sneezing. I personally like sneezing, too. As you say, "it gives a good feeling". However, I have no idea if the majority of people like or dislike it. NoriMori (ノリモリ) 17:23, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Italian Sneeze

I've never written out a sneeze the way it is written in this article especially since there is no 'tch' in Italian. Acciu` would be the closest to the way it is written. 207.228.52.221 (talk) 15:05, 2 September 2008 (UTC)Perpersiculo

Stifling a sneeze

I used to do this, no longer, what can it do to you if you were to do it for too long a time? I used to do it because my father constantly bugged me about the need to carry tissues or a handkerchief (Do you carry one wherever you go?) The snare (talk) 04:21, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

Causes of repeated sneezing?

I, like my Dad, usually sneeze 3,4, of 5 times at a go. I have counted him sneezing 13 times in one go. What causes such groupings of sneezing, and does it have a name? 86.44.3.209 (talk) 04:23, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

Staring at bright ceiling lights to prevent a sneeze?

staring up at a bright ceiling lamp is featured under the "Preventative measures" section. When I feel a sneeze coming up, staring at a ceiling light usually helps the sneeze coming out. The above mentioned statement also counterdicts the common photic sneeze reflex, so I removed it. If anyone disagrees, please state why. Thanks! --212.235.85.149 (talk) 19:06, 5 November 2008 (UTC)

Heart stopping

What about the old wivestale that sneezing causes the heart to stop. I heard that this was proven to be untrue. The origins of this myth would be interesting. --THE FOUNDERS INTENT ^PRAISE 17:39, 6 November 2008 (UTC)

I've read in more than one place (forget exactly where) that the myth is that your heart skips a beat, while in reality it just pauses for the briefest of moments. NoriMori (ノリモリ) 17:24, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Physiology of the sneeze

This page seems to weigh heavily on the social aspects of the sneeze, but not very much on the physiology or biology of the sneeze. What triggers a sneeze (is it olfactory sensation) and how does the neurophysiology occur--why are sneezes almost always involuntary? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.67.46.220 (talk) 00:50, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

Nose

If you try to hold in a sneeze, and it comes out your nose, is there any harm in that? Like air moving at that speed in that part of the body? All I know is that it hurts, or stings a bit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.190.141.117 (talk) 19:57, 30 January 2009 (UTC)

Evolutionary need

I'd like to see a talk on evolution of the sneeze, which animals do it (and if non-air-breathing animals have similar reflexes, e.g. with gills), because it seems that sneezing can often kill one or family in the wrong situations (e.g. driving, while hiding in a group from attackers, extreme blood pressure at wrong time, choking, etc.), especially in modern day, and thus it seems perhaps to be a vestigal response unless the benefits somehow outweight the downsides. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 18.202.1.180 (talk) 00:48, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

The cinema

Is that little movie that was shot next to a dinosaur really needed? It doesn't really look like he's sneezing. A diagram of a nose and/or mouth going through the sneezing process would probably be more helpful. Any ideas other than mine? Rob657 (talk) 23:25, 29 April 2009 (UTC)Rob657

Also, the "1894 Kinetoscope of Fred Ott sneezing, taken by Thomas Edison's laboratory" should be removed. The article is very difficult to read because of the animation. 20:53, 2 January 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.36.164.147 (talk)

Mexico, Sancho, cuckold

So apparently in Mexico (and other Latin countries? Honduras too from what I've been told), when a man sneezes (some people say once, others say three times), instead of "Salud!" or something, people might say "Sancho!". Sancho is some sort of mythical person, a name for your wife's lover. It's supposed to imply that when you sneeze, "Sancho" is making love to your wife. Or something along those lines. Anyway, it seems like it should be in this article, but I can't find any reputable references, so I'll just put this note here. Indeterminate (talk) 00:26, 5 August 2009 (UTC)

Superstition

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=sneeze+bless+you+thank+you+clap+fairy&meta=lr%3Dlang_en%7Clang_fr%7Clang_it&aq=f&oq= has produced some other people who've encountered this strange superstition. I first discovered it in autumn 2006. I had moved to East Anglia and one day I sneezed at work (at a science park in south east Cambridgeshire). A colleague said "God bless you" and I said "Thank you", as I've done for over 30 years. The colleague who said "God bless you" and another colleague both then, in unison, exclaimed "Clap!" at me. I duly clapped but asked why I had to clap. The answer was, because if I didn't clap when saying thank you to someone who had blessed when I sneezed, a fairy would die.

I since asked the colleague who blessed me, where she had heard this superstition. She couldn't remember either having told me to clap, or the "explanation" as to why it was necessary to clap. I think it's a conflation of sneezing with Peter Pan metafictionally calling on the children partaking of the story to prove they believe in fairies by clapping and thereby saving Tinker Bell's life. I have no idea how or why the two would ever have been conflated, but I've been doing my part in spreading this ever since. Psemmusa (talk) 17:58, 6 October 2009 (UTC)

Splitting "Traditional responses to a sneeze"

I believe "Traditional responses to a sneeze" has grown too lengthy for this article, especially "List of responses in various languages" in its unreferenced state. Suggest splitting section (or at least the list) to an article called something like "Responses to sneezing in foreign languages". Have collapsed list until split occurs to alleviate the length. DKqwerty (talk) 16:16, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

 Done DKqwerty (talk) 04:39, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

Bleeding

shouldn't it be mention that a powerful sneeze when blocked can cause a very nasty nose bleed this has happened too me before. --83.70.211.81 (talk) 22:33, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Breath tied to life

The article claims that this was a belief in the Middle Ages, but it is actually older. The Latin word anima means breath and it is the source of the word "animation." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.198.183.69 (talk) 22:21, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

Eyelid close response citation

There's one at the bottom of the page. Can somebody who knows what they are doing link the two up? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.74.40.154 (talk) 09:59, 10 October 2006‎

The link to the MythBusters investigation into eyeballs popping out with a powerful sneeze, does not prove that you can sneeze with your eyes open. It simply proves that your eyeballs won't fall out of your head. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.166.37.145 (talk) 01:08, 26 June 2013 (UTC)

Numbers! Volume? Duration? Velocities?

This is a little lacking I feel. It does not refer to the duration of a sneeze, the volume expelled as percentage of total lung capacity or the velocities of expelled air. For example. Could someone in the know add this? Vegar Ottesen 09:51, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

sneezing with open eyes

Is there any truth in the saying that the automatic action of closing the eyes while sneezing is to prevent them from popping out? 94.159.193.141 (talk) 21:49, 11 December 2013 (UTC)

Danger of stifling sneezes

Some health professional should write a section concerning the danger of stifling or holding sneezes. According to some medical articles online (The Case of a Surprising Sneeze) it can cause serious incidents such as acute glaucoma-like episodes and other Valsalva's effect occular pathologies Valsalva's Retinopathy, and other damage like: cause injury to the diaphragm, break a blood vessel in the white of the eye, causing bruising of the white part around the iris; force air up the Eustachian tubes in your ears and cause a ruptured ear drum or an injury to the inner ear that could lead to vertigo or hearing loss; weaken a blood vessel in the brain and cause it to rupture due to the momentary elevation of blood pressure, etc. (Is It Safe to Hold in a Sneeze?)Ana Bruta (talk) 20:39, 6 January 2014 (UTC)-20:36, 6 January 2014 (UTC)

What happened to the Nursery Rhymes?

Sneezing has also inspired superstition-laden nursery rhymes:

   Sneeze on Monday for health,
   Sneeze on Tuesday for wealth,
   Sneeze on Wednesday for a letter,
   Sneeze on Thursday for something better,
   Sneeze on Friday for sorrow,
   Sneeze on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow,
   Sneeze on Sunday, safety seek.

   One for sorrow
   Two for joy
   Three for a girl
   Four for a boy.
   Five for silver
   Six for gold
   Seven for a secret, never to be told.

This second nursery rhyme has also been used of European Magpies.

   One for a wish
   Two for a kiss
   Three for a letter
   Four for something better.
   Five is a very bad cold.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Davidsmelville (talk • contribs) 02:07, 22 February 2015 (UTC) 

In Spanish-speaking countries, when children sneeze the following is said:

   One sneeze: Salud (To your health)
   Two sneezes: Salud y dinero (To your health and wealth)
   Three sneezes: Salud, dinero y amor (To your health, wealth and love)
   Four sneezes: Salud, dinero, amor, y alergias (To your health, wealth, love, and allergies)

In French-speaking countries, sneezing is accompanied by the following phrases:

   One sneeze: À vos souhaits (To your wishes)
   Two sneezes: À vos rêves (To your dreams)
   Three sneezes: À vos amours (To your loved ones)

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.57.30.2 (talk) 14:38, 7 November 2007‎

Other species

The article should mention whether all air breathing species sneeze, and whether there are differences between species on this. Do all mammals sneeze? All vertebrates? Do insects and spiders sneeze too? 81.237.105.204 (talk) 18:49, 29 December 2014 (UTC)

Agreed! I know cats sneeze, and I've seen a chicken sneeze, but are they the same thing evolutionarily?. And what about reptiles, do they sneeze? I have no idea. The article seems too human centric. Hammerfrog (talk) 10:32, 18 April 2015 (UTC)

Flemish

This section reads strangely to me: If either the person just having made a not most obvious statement in Flemish, or some listener sneezes, often one of the listeneners will say "  't is beniesd", literally "It's sneezed upon", as if a proof of truth – usually self-ironically recalling this old superstitious habit, without either suggesting doubt or intending an actual confirmation, but making any apology by the sneezer for the interruption superfluous as the remark is received by smiles.

I cannot tell when this tradition is triggered - what is "a not most obvious statement"? Is it simply that, if someone someone says something, and then either the speaker or listener sneezes, somebody will say "It's sneezed upon" as a joke, pretending that the sneeze proves the statement?

Jonathonjones (talk) 20:56, 27 January 2016 (UTC)

sneezing means it has to be correct...

don't know how spread this is but at least in my corner of Germany I hear constantly people say "Look! It has to be truth!" if they sneeze midsentence! 185.102.241.201 (talk) 18:43, 4 April 2016 (UTC)

Origin of individual's styles of sneezing

I've occasionally wondered what factors contribute to a person sneezing in a particular way. Some people have a very loud sneeze, some even with full body convulsions, while other sneeze very quietly or rapidly - I knew someone that would sneeze many times (sometimes ten times) in rapid succession (over the course of two seconds) - surely someone has come up with a religion or pseudoscience on this? nastrology or something? Brettpeirce (talk) 16:42, 14 June 2016 (UTC)

Sneeze Speed

MythBusters have apparently debunked the 100 mph sneeze but a larger population sample is required to properly ascertain an average speed and distance of ejected mucus. Still, the 35mph, 39 mph, 13 ft and 17 ft in the show may be worthy of a mention.--Lmstearn (talk) 07:05, 19 July 2016 (UTC)