Sneezing

Did you know that sneezes sometimes erupt at 30-35 miles per hour and spray up to 15 feet away? That’s some serious power, right? Apparently, according to sneeze studies – yes, we even study sneezes – our expulsion is designed to reset our noses, much like a computer reboot.

Whenever I choke on something I end up also sneezing. And when I sneeze, I sneeze seven times. When I was making TV, people would count. They didn’t necessarily come rapid fire, though sometimes they were so huge I thought I’d blow my brains out. Anyhoo, everyone would just wait for the seven, I’d dry my eyes, Tash would fix my makeup and then we’d roll.

I’m weird, right? Maybe not so weird. Are your sneezes lonely. Or as you expel your first mighty “achoo,” is there usually another sneeze lurking right behind? Is it two, three, or even 6 that come after that original sneeze?

If you’re wondering why sneezes seem to come in multi-packs, it has to do with the power behind your nose’s blows. An external stimulant triggers a release of histamines, which irritate nerve cells in the nose, which results in the sneeze. But if your nose thinks the irritant is still lingering it’ll give it another go. So a second sneeze means that the first didn’t do its job.

It doesn’t also require a foreign irritant to trigger a snoot full of sneezes. Since sneezes start in your nerves, plucking your eyebrows may set off a sneeze. Some people sneeze when they exercise because their noses and mouths dry up and their nose reacts by starting to drip, creating a sneeze. And some people sneeze when they have sex. About 20% of the population will sneeze after staring at bright lights. It’s a genetic condition called a photic sneeze reflex, and its mechanisms aren’t very well understood.

Some researchers believe that rapid pupil constriction may trigger the nerves related to sneezing, but no one knows for sure. I’m in this group of sneezers and I think it’s also the reason why when I cough I follow up with a whole bunch of sneezes. My histamine response goes into overdrive and I have to wait for it to play out.

Despite the urban legend, your heart doesn’t stop – it doesn’t even skip a beat – when you sneeze. But your eyes do close. It’s an involuntary reflex, much like how your leg swings when the doctor taps your knee with that little hammer.

If you get the urge to sneeze at a most inopportune time, you may be able to stem the explosion by rubbing your nose or by applying pressure the area above your upper lip just beneath your nose. Push hard. Or take deep breaths and exhale through your nose.

If the sneeze must come, it must come. Holding it in can rupture your eardrums, bust blood vessels or create problems with your diaphragm.