# Hang on, I've got to sneeze **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 30, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590 "2005-10-30T12:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Meaty\_Beaty\_Big\_and\_Bouncy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meaty_Beaty_Big_and_Bouncy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/1 "2005-10-30T12:24:33Z")
All my life since I was a kid, I have sneezed at least four times in a row, everyday. Sometimes several times a day. Violent, uncontrollable, sneezing. It doesn’t matter what time of day, or what I’m doing, whether I’m healthy or sick, what time of year, or what part of the world I’m in, I’m still going to sneeze at least four times in a row every day. I guess it’s genetic, because my mom did the same thing. In the past couple of days I’ve thought about writing a pit thread about it, but I decided it was too lame, and I’m not really pissed about it, because there’s nothing I can do about it. But after reading [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342095), I figured I’d start a MPSMIS thread anyway. Places I’ve sneezed: Weddings (including two of my own). Navy uniform inspections (I almost sneezed on the Captain). Having sex. Having oral sex. Driving my car. Riding my Harley. (Scary). My favorite, while I was in high school. The drama club put on this variety show, in one of the skits I was supposed to be a newscaster reading fake news stories (“I’m Chevy Chase and you’re not” kind of thing) when I had this violent sneezing fit (about 15 times) on opening night. After the show everybody kept coming up to me saying “how did you make it look so real”? Sheesh. :rolleyes: Oh yeah. Violent Sneezing Fit -band name! ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/2 "2005-10-30T14:53:34Z")
I think my record is about 30 times in a row. I was a puffy-eyed, red-nosed, muppet-sounding mess after that one (I have allergies). ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/3 "2005-10-30T14:59:58Z")
Oh, dear, me too. About once a day, but always completely unexpectedly. I can be in the middle of my _own_ sentence and the result will be: "yeah, but environmentally speaking I would say that the amount of iron is HAA-CHOOOOO! " Oy. :o To prevent a spraying (sorry) sneeze, I sneeze with my mouth open. It’s either that or trying to reach for my handkerchief in 0,0004 seconds. Alas, sneezing with open mouth makes it a _louder_ sneeze. I just can’t win. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/4 "2005-10-30T19:26:22Z")
I’ve noticed that the fellow in the next cube over always sneezes in pairs. I now wait until the second one to say “bless you.” My sneezes tend to come in sets of four or five, but usually with a good five or ten seconds between them. This is apparently endlessly entertaining to my wife on car trips. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/5 "2005-10-30T22:04:41Z")
I inevitably sneeze when coming from somewhere dark out into bright sunlight. It’s as automatic as putting on my sunglasses. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/6 "2005-10-31T00:23:19Z")
[“Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!”](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688093388/002-9451200-5287222?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance) ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/7 "2005-10-31T00:30:34Z")
I also sneeze when I go out into the sunlight. Or even stand near a window with the sun coming in it. I vaguely remember hearing a long time ago that 5% of the population has this reaction to sunlight, something about it hitting the spot between the eyes or something… but it never fails with me. If I need to sneeze and it won’t come naturally, all I have to do is look at the sun or even a bright light. ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/8 "2005-10-31T00:35:07Z")
> [@Giant\_Spongess](#): > > I inevitably sneeze when coming from somewhere dark out into bright sunlight. It’s as automatic as putting on my sunglasses. That’s [photic sneeze reflex](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_303.html). I’ve got it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/9 "2005-10-31T00:36:11Z")
Alert! Alert! TMI Warning! Papa Tiger had surgery on his sinuses last week. The doctor had told him she’d stuck a few pieces dissolvable cellophane up in there. No problem, right? So two days ago, he starts sneezing. And sneezing. And sneezing. Sneezing fits every couple of hours. And, of course, since he still can’t blow his nose, he is _miserable_. Finally, after about the umpteenth, sneezing fit, he comes in to my office and says, “You know that dissolvable cellophane the doctor said she used in my sinuses?” I foolishly turn and look at him. He’s holding a piece of cellophane an inch square that he just sneezed out of his nose! Ew! Ew ew ew ew ew!! 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/10 "2005-10-31T01:53:21Z")
> [@Kingspades](#): > > I’ve noticed that the fellow in the next cube over always sneezes in pairs. I now wait until the second one to say “bless you.” > > My sneezes tend to come in sets of four or five, but usually with a good five or ten seconds between them. This is apparently endlessly entertaining to my wife on car trips. Hey, I sneeze in pairs too. Never more than two, always at least two. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/11 "2005-10-31T02:02:08Z")
My mother would always sneeze three or four times in a row - little polite, cat-like sneezes. It used to crack me up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/12 "2005-10-31T02:49:50Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > I also sneeze when I go out into the sunlight. Or even stand near a window with the sun coming in it. I vaguely remember hearing a long time ago that 5% of the population has this reaction to sunlight, something about it hitting the spot between the eyes or something… but it never fails with me. If I need to sneeze and it won’t come naturally, all I have to do is look at the sun or even a bright light. There have been times when just looking at the light coming off my digital clock radio has been enough to get the sneeze out. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/13 "2005-10-31T04:31:37Z")
Thank you, **XWalrus2**! ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hang-on-ive-got-to-sneeze/328590/14 "2005-10-31T04:55:44Z")
When I sneeze… Gad! I can’t breathe between them. Several in a row. Seven or eight easily. But just enough of a gap in between them so that people think I’m done; but I’m not. Well-meaning others keep saying “bless you” over and over and over. It’s frustrating not being able to respond. Finally, when I’m finished and suck in two HUGE lungsfull of breath, I’ll say “excuse me” or “thank you”. To which, my blessor will often respond “Are you DONE?!” or “Were those sneezes? or coughs?” But if I feel myself sneeze only once… then I know I’m getting sick.