# Function of a sneeze! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 1999, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666 "1999-10-02T23:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shpaiers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Shpaiers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shpaiers)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 1999, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/1 "1999-10-02T23:41:00Z")
What is the function of a sneeze?? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/2 "1999-10-03T00:40:00Z")
This should help: [http://www.aj.com/main/metaAnswer.asp?](http://www.aj.com/main/metaAnswer.asp?) Two little known facts about sneezing: 1. It’s very hard to keep your eyes open 2. Your heart stops (deleted whacked-out url text - Nick) [Note: This message has been edited by Nickrz] ---
**Author:** ![Mac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/3 "1999-10-03T00:45:00Z")
Damn now thats a url. ---
**Author:** ![sly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@sly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sly)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/4 "1999-10-03T00:55:00Z")
Little known fact #3: Some cultures believed the soul wandered from the body when one sneezed, which brought about the “God bless” response. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/5 "1999-10-03T01:20:00Z")
Apparently some URLs are too long for UBB. Ray ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/6 "1999-10-03T01:30:00Z")
If you carefully paste each line of it, as posted full-width here, individually in sequence contiguously into your browser’s (at least Netsacape’s) URL slot, it _ **does** _ actually work. Ray (The length of that URL is certainly nothing to sneeze at.) ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/7 "1999-10-03T01:35:00Z")
Another function of a sneeze is as a solvent to clean off the face of your monitor once every three months. Ray (Mucus is not the swearing of a cat.) ---
**Author:** ![Shpaiers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Shpaiers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shpaiers)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/8 "1999-10-03T01:38:00Z")
haha that’s nastee. ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/9 "1999-10-03T01:53:00Z")
Actually, that didn’t help at all!! Sorry about thread screw-up. I’ve reproduced the article below. It’s from [yourkidshealth.com](http://yourkidshealth.com) AHHH - CHOO! ``` If you just sneezed, something was probably irritating or tickling the inside of your nose. Sneezing, also called "sternutation," is your body's way of removing an irritation from your nose. ``` When the inside of your nose gets a tickle, a message is sent to a special part of your brain called the “sneeze center.” The sneeze center then sends a message to all the muscles that have to work together to create the amazingly complicated process that we call the sneeze. Some of the muscles involved are the abdominal (belly) muscles, the chest muscles, the diaphragm (the large muscle beneath your lungs that makes you breathe), the muscles that control your vocal cords, and muscles in the back of your throat. Don’t forget the eyelid muscles! Did you know that you always close your eyes when you sneeze? It is the job of the sneeze center to make all these muscles work together, in just the right order, to send that irritation flying out of your nose. And fly it does - sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour! Most anything that can irritate the inside of your nose can start a sneeze. Some common things include dust, cold air, or pepper. When you catch a cold in your nose, a virus has made a temporary home there and is causing lots of swelling and irritation. Some people have allergies, and they sneeze when they are exposed to certain things, such as animal dander (found on the hair of many common pets) or pollen (which comes from some plants). About one out of every three people sneezes when exposed to bright light. They are called “photic” sneezers (photic means light). If you are a photic sneezer, you got it from one of your parents, since it is an inherited trait. You could say that it runs in your family. Most people have some sensitivity to light that can trigger a sneeze. Have you ever had the feeling that you are about to sneeze, but it just gets stuck? Next time that happens, try looking toward a bright light briefly (but don’t look right into the sun) - see if that doesn’t unstick a stuck sneeze! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/10 "1999-10-03T03:55:00Z")
I usually sneeze in threes. (That is, three sneezes close together). I’ve also noticed that a lot of other people do too. 🙂 I’m not sure why that seems funny to me. But it is relevant to this topic. Right? I’m sleepy. Peace, mangeorge * * * Work like you don’t need the money… Love like you’ve never been hurt… Dance like nobody’s watching! …(Paraphrased) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/11 "1999-10-03T07:05:00Z")
> [@](#): > > [http://www.aj.com/main/metaAnswer.asp](http://www.aj.com/main/metaAnswer.asp)? Gesundheit! (Apparently I dead-ended the formerly whacked-out url. Sorry - Nick) [Note: This message has been edited by Nickrz] ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 1999, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/12 "1999-10-03T12:02:00Z")
Just go to [http://www.aj.com](http://www.aj.com) and type sneeze or sneezing in the question box. It’ll eventually take you there. Nickrz: Thanks for the (radical) fixin’ :)! ---
**Author:** ![StStella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@StStella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StStella)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 1999, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/function-of-a-sneeze/3666/13 "1999-10-05T05:16:00Z")
Mangeorge, I also sneeze in threes, but a little diffent than you. I first have two consecutive sneezes, the first one isn’t even complete before the second one starts, kind of like achoo-choo and then a third complete sneeze. The fact that I feel the need to share this tells me I need a life… 🙂