# Sneezing twice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648 "2002-11-14T00:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shane\_Somebody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@shane\_Somebody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shane_Somebody)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/1 "2002-11-14T00:21:55Z")
Why do most people when they sneeze, sneeze twice? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/2 "2002-11-14T00:29:16Z")
Twice? When I start sneezing I go on for a while. I think it is when my nose starts running that I stop sneezing. I do not think it has ever been under a dozen sneezes. Feels great too, like mini orgasms. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/3 "2002-11-14T00:44:10Z")
I almost always sneeze in pairs, too. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/4 "2002-11-14T01:13:03Z")
I posted this several months ago, and never got an answer. Maybe we’ll get lucky this time, but I’m a two-timin’ sneezer, too. 😃 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/5 "2002-11-14T20:18:03Z")
I’ve had a look at several medical sites and Googled my brains out. Can’t seem to find out why people sneeze multiples… must be kinda like orgasms or summat… some are luckier than others perhaps?? Here is a nifty site as to [WHY](http://www.nsf.gov/nstw_questions/biol/quest272.htm) we sneeze - the mechanisms behind it. Here is why we sneeze when looking at [sunlight](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_303.html) according to Uncle Cecil… And last but not least some [folklore and superstitions](http://www.sandiego-books.com/sneezing.htm) involving sneezing. Hope you get a kick out of this anyway. ---
**Author:** ![shane\_Somebody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@shane\_Somebody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shane_Somebody)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/6 "2002-11-14T22:13:10Z")
It could come down to the simple theory that since we have two nostril’s, thus intake of air up both = two sneezes. Shane Somebody ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/7 "2002-11-14T23:46:05Z")
I usually only ever sneeze once. And yes, I do have two nostrils. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/8 "2002-11-15T00:16:51Z")
I frequently sneeze three times. Never once, sometimes twice, mostly three times. And very often when I go from a dark area into sunlight. Sneezing jags can be fun if you have tissue handy. ---
**Author:** ![ForbiddenFruitsalad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@ForbiddenFruitsalad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForbiddenFruitsalad)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/9 "2002-11-15T00:41:29Z")
I usually sneeze thrice when the sneezing is caused by photic sneeze reflex. Double sneezes are common, and sometimes there will be more than three. I’m not sure about non-reflex sneezes because those almost never happen to me. I hope this doesn’t mean I’m growing another nostril. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/10 "2002-11-15T03:23:20Z")
Odd… I usually sneeze twice too. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/11 "2002-11-15T12:51:51Z")
I usually sneeze three times - two “normal” ones and then one “grand finale” sneeze which is much stonger than the first two… In fact, my girlfriend will deliberatly not say “bless-you” to me after I’ve sneezed twice but will wait (often telling me to “get a move on will ya!”) until the third sneeze appears. Strange innit! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/12 "2002-11-15T13:19:31Z")
Only one at a time here. But I know of others a few cubes away who sneeze in droves, like four or so. Violently, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dragline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Dragline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragline)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/13 "2002-11-15T14:12:44Z")
Anybody else sneeze when starting to get “aroused”? I usually do, and it’s damn aggravating, especially when trying to be subtle. Maybe because I’m a consistent three time sneezer? ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/14 "2002-11-15T18:34:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quirm \* > \*\*I usually sneeze three times - two “normal” ones and then one “grand finale” sneeze which is much stonger than the first two… > > In fact, my girlfriend will deliberatly not say “bless-you” to me after I’ve sneezed twice but will wait (often telling me to “get a move on will ya!”) until the third sneeze appears. > > Strange innit! \*\* My wife and kids know to suspend conversation until after the third. Being a musician, I call it the “coda” sneeze. Sometimes, the coda runs around, I get ready for a big one, take a big breath, and then…nothing. Really kinda frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/15 "2002-11-15T19:05:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Twice? When I start sneezing I go on for a while. I think it is when my nose starts running that I stop sneezing. I do not think it has ever been under a dozen sneezes. Feels great too, like mini orgasms. \*\* I agree, the mini orgasm bit, and have learned how to initiate and extend the number of sneezes. In fact, I just gave myself a couple. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/16 "2002-11-15T19:16:53Z")
Another triple sneezer here - but I don’t seem to find it **quite** as much fun as some of your lucky people. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneezing-twice/136648/17 "2002-11-15T19:51:30Z")
For me the number of sneezes is determined by the force of each one. So I either have one massive sneeze, or two or three smaller ones. And I think I sneeze pretty loud and hard, because people in a LARGE area hear it and acklolege it. One time, at my crossing guard job, I sneezed at the street corner and a car drove by with the driver hollering “Bless you!” (maybe he saw me sneezing on approach). Still it was pretty eerie.