Are You a Sneeze-Holder? Hope Not.
August 12, 2008 by Liberty Kontranowski
Filed under A Mother's Wisdom, Health, Misc., Your Body
When I saw a recent blurb on holding sneezes, I immediately thought “Guilty as charged!” Because, yes, I indeed hold my sneezes in. Not always, but certainly often.
Unfortunately, that is a very bad thing to do. Here’s why:
* A human sneeze clocks in at 103 mph – that’s a whole lot of force going nowhere!
* It may be rare, but you can rupture and eardrum, damage membranes in your inner ear, or cause small capillaries in your eyes to burst. Eep.
* By holding it in, the very cause of the sneeze is still in tact.
I suppose you can add the occasional leaking issue from having a full bladder while a sneeze attack comes on to the list above – not that that’s ever happened to me, mind you, but to some poor schmucks, I’m sure it has…
Anyhoo, long story short: Are you a sneeze-holder, too? And do you think this news will make you change your ways? I can’t say for certain that it will change me (as the horror of spraying someone with allergy-season drippings is too atrocious of a thought to bear), but I will surely keep this info in my pocket for future reference. Hope you will, too.
I *do* know someone who blew a sinus by holding a sneeze. OUCH!
There’s no need to hold a sneeze! The best way to sneeze is demonstrated in the excellent and entertaining video here: http://www.coughsafe.com/media.html
The sleeve-sneeze, as they demonstrate, keeps your germs on your person while minimizing the chances of spreading bugs.
Owww, Marijke. Maybe I ought to rethink my sneeze-holding after all. ;P
Oh, I’m a definite sleeve-sneezer, Dr. Sara, (when I actually let them out, that is) and have taught my kids to do so also. The problem is: what do you do in the summer, when you’re wearing something sleeveless? Ewwwww!
Thanks for the video link, btw.
I never hold my sneeze in. I always let them out!
I’m definitely a sneeze holder, and will forever continue to contain my wee sneezes even though I know it could be “dangerous.”
Unfortunately, my husband is not a sneeze holder and probably would never be able to given the dramatic force of his nasal gusts. It is beyond gross, and I have to dig deep to muster a ‘god bless you’ after he assaults the dashboard of our car with a smattering of body fluids. Hand, tissue, or handkerchief – nothing can contain the force of his sneeze. Yuck.