RI Trying not to sneeze

[Tundra]

I read somewhere that if you feel you're going to sneeze, and you bite your tongue, the need to sneeze temporarily goes away. I've tried that a few times and it seems to work! Does it work for other people too?

[groovybaby]

Never tried biting my tongue. I just hold my nose if I feel like I need to stop myself sneezing but that doesn't always work just becomes...messy :lol: I used to have a fear of sneezing after my brother told me that if I didn't shut my eyes when I sneezed my eyes would pop out :( :lol:

[Tundra]

well... if you hold your nose your eardrums can pop. how's that for fun lol.

I wanted to know about the tongue biting thing, because in how many novels have people been given away by sneezing?

[pineappleviolet]

I can "gag" my sneezes, that is, half-suppress them. Of course, they always come in twos that way, so it's not much of a cure. It's more of "muffle... muffle." I'll have to try the tongue biting thing. :) Does anyone else sneeze in succession? I sneeze in twos, my cousin sneezes in threes, and her aunt sneezes in (I kid you not) nines.

[Tundra]

I often sneeze more than once, but there's no rule to it.

The biting tongue thing should be done when you feel one coming on. Not when you're doing the 'ah ah ah' bit.

[Maegan]

I always sneeze in twos or in fours.

I also remember reading in a children's science book a long time ago that your sneeze travels at speeds of around 70mph! Not sure if that's true, though.

[sillypants]

I tried it last night, didn't really work, but I may not have done it right.

[Tundra]

It worked for me today! I didn't want to sneeze in tute, and i knew i wouldn't get to a tissue in time. But i felt that bit behind my nose twitching, so i bit the tip of my tongue, about one centimetre in, and the urge went away!

[sillypants]

Okay, maybe that's the problem. I didn't bite the end of my tongue, I bit the middle!

[Tundra]

:shock: you must have looked a bit weird. lol.

:P

[Maegan]

How hard do you have to bite your tongue? I'd rather sneeze than risk mangling it :p

[Tundra]

not very hard. just so there's pressure

[sillypants]

:shock: you must have looked a bit weird. lol.

:P

I always look weird!!! It was at home, and no-one else was around, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered!!

[AXJ]

I'd always heard that to temporarily stop a sneeze you lightly pinch... oh, I forget, but it was either the bridge of your nose or your earlobe.

[felixia]

A friend said to me that you could stop it by putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth, I think it kind of worked for me, but I have hardly done it because I hardly ever think of doing it when I sneeze.

[Aquamonet]

I put my tongue on the roof of my mouth but it just changes my sneeze into a phelgmy cough. That's a bit disgusting isn't it? I only really do it when I'm in a quiet place cause coughs aren't as loud.

[Elski]

Hm. Can't say I've ever tried to stop a sneeze (I prefer to just sneeze and get it over with)... However, my class once got a lecture from an old jewish lady who fought with the Russian freedom fighters (partisians? I don't trust my spelling ability... ^^') in WWII. Apparently rubbing one's nose will stop a sneeze; she says they were often close enough to German troops to need to make use of that particular trick.

[sillypants]

I guess it's kinda like getting rid of hiccups. Everyone has their owns theories, and maybe what works for one person might not work for someone else.

[Not Indigo]

My sister insists that if you feel a sneeze coming on and you lick the roof of your mouth, it'll go away. Unfortunately, I don't know if it's true, since I never remember to try when I'm about to sneeze!

[melydia]

I've never tried that. To me, it's more frustrating when I have that need-to-sneeze feeling that just goes away on its own *without* sneezing.

[Elski]

I've never tried that. To me, it's more frustrating when I have that need-to-sneeze feeling that just goes away on its own *without* sneezing.

Gosh, yes, I hate that. I do know how to *make* a sneeze come, though! Look up at the sun. I'm not sure if it's the bright light or just the tilting of the head, but it honest-to-god works.

[melydia]

Gosh, yes, I hate that. I do know how to *make* a sneeze come, though! Look up at the sun. I'm not sure if it's the bright light or just the tilting of the head, but it honest-to-god works.

My aunt told me once that that's an old instinct from back when we were cavemen to teach us not to stare at the sun, since sneezing forces you to close your eyes. I have no idea if that's true.

Strong mint (like gum or those breath strips) makes me sneeze more often than not. I dunno what it is, but my theory is that it's from the blood vessels rushing to the surface of the skin (which is why mint makes you feel cold) so quickly, and that tickles something inside.