Sneezing; All you Need to Know

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June 1, 2013 by thejalebichronicles

Systematically Haphazard:- Organized snippets of jumbled up randomness

Sneezing; a nosy and noisy part of our everyday lives. Be it due to allergies, pollutants or fur, we’ve all experienced the great sneeze- and most of us quite like it.

Sneezing (or sternutation, as it’s officially called,) is an involuntary defence mechanism that clears out bacteria and other injurious agents from the nasal passages. Studies have shown that sneezing is something akin to an orgasm for the face and can even be pleasurable. This isn’t all the piffle we know about sniffles; there’s more to follow, yet!
The way you sneeze also speaks volumes about your personality. “Sneezes are like laughter,” says Dr. Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist. “They differ from person to person and represent underlying personality structures. An extrovert would typically have loud, explosive sneezes, whereas an introvert would try to withhold their sneezes, resulting in a stifled one instead.”

In addition to showing weak social skills, muzzling your muzzle can actually be harmful to your health. It’s possible to blow your eardrums out if you stifle your sneezes regularly. Also, denying yourself the pleasures of the nasal orgasm can indicate you’re more sexually repressed than most, whereas a loud sneeze says just the opposite. So for those of you who stifle your sneezes, it’s time to flaunt your wares and open up those nares!

However, psychology isn’t the only variable that controls our unique sneeze; our facial structure, the amount of light in the area and even genetics have roles to play. A sneeze style is a genetic trait passed down from generation to generation. So from now on, don’t be bewildered if you’re told you have Grandpa’s knees as well as his sneeze.

Siegel, a clinical professor, points out an acquaintance whose sneezes incorporates an interesting twist. “When he sneezes, he manages to make it sound like ‘horsesh*t’, and he’s got it down,” he says. “There is a partial control of the final product.”

Myths about Sneezing:-

Old Pope Greg the Great who began the, ‘God bless you,’ tradition.

The phrase, ‘God bless you’ originated in around 600 A.D, when Pope Gregory the Great ascended to the Papacy during the plague. When someone sneezed, they were immediately blessed in the hope that they would not develop the plague. Also, the common belief that your heart skips a beat when you sneeze is false; the heart rhythm changes for a second, but that’s about it.

So you see, sneezes are not just meaningless intervals in your existence anymore, but very much part and parcel of it. Life’s just a sneeze, and snort just a breeze.
-Alaric Moras