# Is it dangerous to sneeze inside your nose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 2, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140 "2011-08-02T03:02:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/1 "2011-08-02T03:02:58Z")
If proper capitalization and punctuation are what it will take to make you people listen to me, then I suppose I’ll have to swallow my pride. You’re all a bunch of tools, but hey, no hard feelings. Anyway, the question. If I’m in a crowded elevator and feel a sneeze coming on, I try to keep it inside my face in the interest of avoiding spreading germs in a tight space, at least visibly. Other than a slight pain in my nose, this doesn’t seem to be much different than a normal explosive sneeze, but seeing as the action is designed to expel stuff I can’t help thinking it’s different somehow. Is there any danger associated with this practice, or any effects of any kind? ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/2 "2011-08-02T03:30:46Z")
The punctuation looks great. You may be further outraged to learn that name calling isn’t allowed in this particular forum either though, so prepare for more indignations. In answer to this very well-punctuated question, a cite from the Master: [Will suppressing a sneeze give you a brain aneurism?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2302/will-suppressing-a-sneeze-give-you-a-brain-aneurysm) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/3 "2011-08-02T03:32:36Z")
nm…thought better of it. ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/4 "2011-08-02T03:35:28Z")
Jeez. You’d think Straight Dope readers would be able to take a joke. At least I’m not calling anyone a “kumquat”… ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/5 "2011-08-02T03:37:28Z")
> [@punch\_line\_loser](#): > > Jeez. You’d think Straight Dope readers would be able to take a joke. At least I’m not calling anyone a “kumquat”… No, you’re calling everyone “a bunch of tools”. That’s a joke? Don’t quit your day job…:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/6 "2011-08-02T03:39:47Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > No, you’re calling everyone “a bunch of tools”. That’s a joke? Don’t quit your day job…:rolleyes: You guys take this stuff way too seriously. You’ve never called your friend a dumbass, before? Jeez, tough room. Anyway, thanks for the Dope reference. Guess this was pretty much a waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/7 "2011-08-02T03:51:50Z")
> [@punch\_line\_loser](#): > > You guys take this stuff way too seriously. You’ve never called your friend a dumbass, before? Jeez, tough room. Anyway, thanks for the Dope reference. Guess this was pretty much a waste of time. It doesn’t bother me either way. I was just cautioning you to brace yourself for when someone inevitably pointed out the rules because you didn’t take kindly to earlier criticism about your punctuation. (also by others - I don’t really care about that either). ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/8 "2011-08-02T03:59:13Z")
Who says I didn’t take kindly to it? Is it a rule to take everything at face value here, too? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/9 "2011-08-02T04:05:05Z")
> [@punch\_line\_loser](#): > > You guys take this stuff way too seriously. You’ve never called your friend a dumbass, before? Jeez, tough room. Anyway, thanks for the Dope reference. Guess this was pretty much a waste of time. All I’m doing is taking your humor at face-value. I don’t really even know what you’re squawking about, so the “taking things too seriously” remark shouldn’t have had my comment in it’s quotes. You just said you made a joke and I just said you crashed and burned. If you make a good one, I’ll comment positively. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/10 "2011-08-02T04:24:17Z")
> [@jamiemcgarry](#): > > All I’m doing is taking your humor at face-value. I don’t really even know what you’re squawking about, so the “taking things too seriously” remark shouldn’t have had my comment in it’s quotes. You just said you made a joke and I just said you crashed and burned. If you make a good one, I’ll comment positively. 🆒 Oh yeah? Why can you NOT tell when there’s a pterodactyl in your bathroom? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/11 "2011-08-02T04:32:20Z")
To answer the question, I am unaware of any significant risk from suppressing a sneeze (at least, it appears no more harmful than sneezing in the first place - the examples given in the Straight Dope report of aneurysm ruptures were related to sneezing, not supressing sneezing.). The benefit of not sneezing in a crowded place like an elevator, of course, is that you don’t spray snot and germs over your fellow passengers, who will thus be much less likely to view you with disgust and maybe (in isolated instances) even whomping you over the head. ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/12 "2011-08-02T04:39:38Z")
True. In Taipei they’re very sensitive to that, so no perceived danger is probably going to make me stop. I do wonder about that curious burning-type sensation I get in my nose when I suppress a sneeze, though. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/13 "2011-08-02T04:49:40Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > To answer the question, I am unaware of any significant risk from suppressing a sneeze (at least, it appears no more harmful than sneezing in the first place - the examples given in the Straight Dope report of aneurysm ruptures were related to sneezing, not supressing sneezing.). Well it does also say: > [@](#): > > Is suppressing a sneeze bad? Could be, due to something called the Valsalva maneuver, better known as a way of relieving pain in the ears caused by a rapid change in elevation. While pinching your nostrils shut, you blow into your nose hard. This opens the Eustachian tubes connecting your inner ear with your throat and equalizes the pressure on either side of your eardrums. But because the Valsalva maneuver increases pressure in the chest, it also briefly blocks the blood flow entering the heart, causing a sharp fluctuation in blood pressure. Conceivably this could cause an aneurysm to rupture. Maybe we should ask the folks over at [Science World](http://www.scienceworld.ca/we-can-explain) for a second opinion: > [@](#): > > Want to know more? A common question is “Can you really hurt yourself by holding in a sneeze?” Not likely, for details check out: [www.straightdope.com/columns/010427.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010427.html) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/14 "2011-08-02T04:57:20Z")
I have suppressed sneezes regularly for more than 50 years. Okay so far. But then, I’m just a tool. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/15 "2011-08-02T08:22:44Z")
I’m not sure which is old fogier, this thread or the latest “avatars or not” abortion on ATMB. But to the OP, yes, that’s how my eyeballs popped out. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/16 "2011-08-02T22:09:19Z")
“Hey, I think I have a pretty neat idea. I want this group of people to answer a question, so I think I should call them names first. This will surely increase their respect and admiration for me, and they’ll want to help me even more!” ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/17 "2011-08-03T01:19:57Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > “Hey, I think I have a pretty neat idea. I want this group of people to answer a question, so I think I should call them names first. This will surely increase their respect and admiration for me, and they’ll want to help me even more!” What an insight into the OP’s thought process! You’ve certainly given me something to think about. Joe ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/18 "2011-08-03T01:43:45Z")
For a group that professes to be fans of Cecil Adams, you guys sure do take everything way too seriously. If I really wanted the “admiration” of a group of people on a message board, I would need to take a serious look at my priorities. I’m using the stupid capital letters, and I was trying to show that I wasn’t going to be a jerk about it with a little humor, and I get a legion of offended intellectuals trying to patronize me as if I’ve actually tried to disrespect them. Getting upset at me for making a bad joke isn’t showing your superiority by putting me in my place, it’s just missing the point entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/19 "2011-08-03T01:44:27Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > “Hey, I think I have a pretty neat idea. I want this group of people to answer a question, so I think I should call them names first. This will surely increase their respect and admiration for me, and they’ll want to help me even more!” Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to? ---
**Author:** ![punch\_line\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e7dd6/32.png) [@punch\_line\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punch_line_loser)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140/20 "2011-08-03T01:53:59Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Do you have a newsletter I can subscribe to? Well said. Moving on, I suppressed and sneeze at work a half hour ago and I can still feel it. Is that bad? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-dangerous-to-sneeze-inside-your-nose/591140.md?page=2)