9 ms·
PSA of the day: With practice you can learn to delay your sneeze by a second or two. That gives you time exhale all the air from your lungs so the sneeze has mi
by louprado 9y ago
PSA of the day: With practice you can learn to delay your sneeze by a second or two. That gives you time exhale all the air from your lungs so the sneeze has minimal power[1].
Tilt your head down too and with further practice you can learn to open your throat in order to minimize air velocity.
[1] Source: me, a former obnoxiously loud sneezer that always dismissed it as an unavoidable and comical physiological quirk because I am too big and manly to sneeze quietly. It isn't, it wasn't, and I'm not.
edit: added a step.
- pavel_lishin 9y agoThis is the first time it's occurred to me that other people cannot control their sneezes. I've had the occasional "where the hell did that come from?" sneeze, but they're a rare exception, maybe a few times a year. I cannot fathom not being able to control something like a sneeze; to me, it would feel like not being able to control farting, coughing or talking.
- falsedan 9y ago> like not being able to control farting, coughing or talking Did you know? Plenty of people cannot control these actions 100%. Please don't assume others are like you.
- chelseafan 9y agoYeah, some people apparently cannot, in fact, shut the fuck up and be polite. Guess it's just a personality quirk!
- peacequiet99 9y agoYeah, I guess not being able to shut the fuck up and be polite is just a personality quirk.
- thomnottom 9y agoAre you honestly suggesting that not being able to control semi-autonomous bodily functions is a matter of personality traits?
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- the_af 9y agoWhen my alergies strike (hello, Spring!) I often cannot control my sneezes. I can control not sneezing in people's faces, though. I also sometimes cannot control my coughs. Farting, fortunately, I can control :)
- jpindar 9y agoOne of these things is not like the others. People should be able to control talking (assuming they know it bothers the people around them).
- gertef 9y agoPeople should be able to control all of them, at least for timespans of a few seconds.
- pavel_lishin 9y agoUnless they've got medical conditions, which some people do.
- pavel_lishin 9y agoI struggled to come up with things that, to me, would be very strange to not be able to control anymore. I know there are medical conditions that prevent you from controlling all three - I've had coughs bad enough that I couldn't help it, and there are definitely bowel conditions that mean your sphincter isn't 100% reliable, and there is Tourette's and assorted mental conditions that basically make it difficult to impossible to control your speech.
- logfromblammo 9y agoI can sneeze without exhaling at all. Of course, I am afraid of what this does to my blood pressure, and whenever I do it, I start thinking that one day I'm going to burst a blood vessel while sneezing like that. Comes in handy if you have a photic sneeze reflex, though.
- louprado 9y agoI definitely am not recommending holding in your sneeze. Exhale what air you can. When the sneeze comes, open your throat wide so to minimize the air velocity. It takes practice.
- tcfunk 9y agoExpecting that people should control their sneezes is a ridiculous cultural norm.
- protonfish 9y agoAnd what about saying "bless you?" People sure have superstitious hangups about sneezing. And I don't mind, it doesn't hurt anything, until I get a sarcastic "you're welcome" from people for not thanking them for blessing me. I seriously don't get that. When did saying "bless you" require an official display of gratitude? I didn't ask for anything and would just like to sneeze in peace, please.
- Toast_25 9y agoI've never personally seen it as something religious, just being nice and in my country it's considered being well-mannered. That being said in my country we don't say "bless you", a literal translation to what we say would be "health". When I visit other countries it feels weird that nobody says anything when people sneeze. But I realize that's a cultural thing and try to avoid saying "Bless you".
- gumby 9y agoThank the sneezer instead. If they wonder why you thanked them you can thank them for the aerosol of bacteria and crud they sent your way. In east Asia it's customary for sick people to wear masks to avoid spreading disease via coughing or sneezing. A practice that ought to be adopted everywhere. I know I'm promoting a passive-aggressive strategy which is also social corrosive, but it's a way of spreading (!) the meme. And don't say "Gesundheit" because you think "bless you" is religious -- saying Gesundheit is simply non-denominationally superstitious.
- gertef 9y ago"Gesundheit" means "health". Sneezing is an indicator of health risk. It's a tradition, not a superstition.
- 9y ago
- debaserab2 9y agoCounter PSA: Did you know that your body is sneezing for a reason and taking all the air out of it may be counter productive and actually lead to more sneezing?
- louprado 9y agoUnless I inhaled pepper that never happens. I've watched others learn this technique too even large men. It can take years of practice though, just like learning any good habit/manner.
- eggie 9y agoI think the question is if you've considered that not sneezing completely may encourage a situation where you sneeze more often. If the sneezing is actually a helpful thing, it might be a problem to inhibit it.
- debaserab2 9y agoAs someone with severe seasonal allergies, it certainly does happen to others. Its not about manners or habits for everyone.
- gertef 9y agoYour body is often sneezing because it has been hijacked by a virus that triggers the sneeze in order to spread infection. Sneezes were evolved before the invention of the handkerchief and tissue.
- oh_sigh 9y agoJust sneeze into the crook of your arm. It stops the spray and muffles the noise.
- pqhwan 9y agoSomething better; pinch your nose when you're about to sneeze. This kills the sneeze immediately.
- baxtr 9y agoOh wow, that sounds like great advice. I’m a regular 3-times sneezer for no obvious reasons, often in office building. I figured it may be related to an allergic reaction to those office floor carpets (that or I’m allergic to working as such). Since my sneezing is super loud I am looking forward to trying this technique soon! Thanks for sharing
- therealdrag0 9y agoIf I have to sneeze I usually just bend over and sneeze at the ground a foot away. Is that any good? But I prevent sneezes by controlled in-out breathing and gently pinching/rubbing my nose.