I just sneezed about 7 times. Eesh!

Sneeze
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Little Sammy Sneeze by Winsor McCay
A sternutation, sternutatory reflex or, as is more commonly known, sneeze, is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the nose and mouth. This air can reach speeds of 70 m/s (250 km/h or 155 MPH). Sneezes spread disease by producing infectious droplets that are 0.5 to 5 µm in diameter. About 40,000 such droplets can be produced by a single sneeze.

Cause
Sneezing is generally caused by irritation and sometimes bacterial clog up in the throat and ears, lungs, or in the passages of the nose. Allergens such as pollens, pet dander, house dust mites, as well as nonallergenic particles are usually harmless, but when they irritate the nose the body responds by expelling them from the nasal passages. The nose mistakes strong odors, sudden chills, bright lights (see photic sneeze reflex), and making nasal sounds at the right pitch for nasal irritants, and it tries to defend itself with a sneeze.[citation needed]
[edit]Eyelid close response
When sneezing, one's eyelids reflexively close, possibly as a response to relieve the unpleasant pressure a sneeze produces behind the eyes. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to sneeze and keep one's eyes open.
[edit]Beliefs and cultural aspects

In 400 BC the Athenian general Xenophon gave a dramatic oration exhorting his fellow soldiers to follow him to liberty or to death against the Persians. He spoke for an hour motivating his army and assuring them a safe return to Athens until a soldier underscored his conclusion with a sneeze. Thinking this sneeze a favorable sign from the gods, the soldiers bowed before Xenophon and followed his command. Another divine moment of sneezing for the Greeks occurs in the story of Odysseus. Odysseus returns home disguised as a beggar and talks with his waiting lover Penelope. She says to Odysseus, not knowing to whom she speaks, that he will return safely to challenge her suitors. At that moment their son sneezes loudly and Penelope laughs with joy, reassured that it is a sign from the gods.[1]
Among the pagans of Flanders, a sneeze was an omen. When Saint Eligius warned the pagans against their druidical practices, according to his companion and biographer Ouen, he included the following: "Do not observe auguries or violent sneezing or pay attention to any little birds singing along the road. If you are distracted on the road or at any other work, make the sign of the cross and say your Sunday prayers with faith and devotion and nothing inimical can hurt you."
In Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia and some Middle Eastern countries a sneeze that occurs after making a statement is sometimes interpreted as a confirmation by God that the statement was true.
In Japan, a common superstition holds a person sneezes when they are being talked about or badmouthed behind their back or by a person far away.
It is a common belief in India that someone who randomly sneezes remembers or is remembered by someone dear to him or her. Most Indians consider sneezing healthy, and the inability to sneeze to be cause for alarm. Psychology Today reports that Indian scientists have labeled an inability to sneeze "asneezia"; the people of India have long used snuff as a way to artificially induce sneezing.
[edit]Onomatopoeia
The onomatopoeias for the sneeze sound are "achew!" (the "a" is pronounced as the "u" in "mug"), "atisshoo" and "achoo". The first syllable corresponds to the sudden intake of air, the second to the sound of the sneeze.

Traditional responses to a sneeze
In English-speaking countries, it is common for at least one person to say "God bless you" (or just "Bless you") after someone sneezes. This tradition originates from the Middle Ages, when it was believed that when one sneezed, the heart stops, the soul left the body and could be snatched by an evil spirit.[citation needed] Today, it is said mostly in the spirit of good manners and is usually followed by the sneezer saying 'Thank you'. Also, when the Scarlet Fever broke out for the first time, people would often die as a result, people then began saying God bless you, in the hope that they would survive.
In English speaking countries, the German word "Gesundheit" (which means health) is occasionally said after a sneeze instead of "bless you." In the Spanish language, one says "Salud" (the u being an "oo" sound), which also means health

Folk remedies
Folk remedies for sneezing are common. Among them are the following:
Slapping someone on the back as they are about to sneeze will stop them from sneezing.
Apply upward pressure to the bottom of your nose.
Tickle or press against the top of your mouth with your tongue (some people have reported sneezing even more after a sneeze when tickling the top of the mouth).
Press your tongue against the back side of your top row of teeth.
Look up with your eyes but not your head.
Gently bite your upper lip. The sensation will distract your nose nerves and your desire to sneeze will greatly lessen.
Holding your breath for long enough when one feels a sneeze coming will usually prevent a sneeze. Sneezing requires air to expel, and simply eliminating the air until the nervous response goes away means no sneeze. This is immensely preferable to blocking the nose, which can result in damage to the delicate structures of the inner ears, or redirecting the sneeze through your mouth, which can result in the oral ejection of phlegm and saliva.
Squeezing the bridge of the nose
Look at a bright light. (In some people this will not work as with the photic sneeze reflex bright lights are sneezing triggers)
Swallow your saliva when you feel the sneeze coming. Do this repeatedly until the feeling goes away.
Pinch the skin along the top of the bridge of the nose to ward off an impending sneeze.
Accupressure solution: Spread the thumb of one hand away from the fingers. Using the sharp edges of the nails on the thumb and index finger of your other hand, pinch the flap of skin between the spread thumb and the fingers.
Saying "asparagus" or "cow" immediately before a sneeze will often stop the oncoming sneeze. Some believe that saying these words repeatedly can stop the oncoming sneeze, however this has been disproven.
Reciting the phrase "peanut butter-hairspray-pineapple" at the onset of a sneeze is believed to subdue it.
Apply pressure between your upper lip and the bottom of your nose.














http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneeze