Freeze the Sneeze Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yes

Many people who go from a warm environment to a much colder one (say, walking from a heated house into the mid-winter snow) will sneeze. This is because their nose produces protective secretions, but initially the quantity is low enough to be perceived as an irritant, and the sneezing reflex kicks in to remove it.

Although we do not now believe that sneezes are the body's way of expelling evil spirits, it is still common in most cultures to say some kind of ritual blessing to a person who sneezes - "Gesundheit" or "Bless you", for example.

Answer: No

While it is certainly possible to be allergic to sunlight, the allergy is usually manifested in a skin reaction that produces an itchy red rash. My friend probably suffers from photic sneezing, also called photoparmosis or sun sneezing, which affects between a fifth and a third of the population.

The condition appears to be at least partially an inherited condition, but little is known as yet about either the genetic basis of it or the actual mechanism involved in triggering the sneeze. Typically, an individual who is subject to photic sneezing will sneeze up to ten times when first exposed to bright light, but will then be sneeze-free for up to a day. If you suffer from photic sneezing, and are about to undergo a surgical procedure that will involve an injection into or near the eye, be sure to inform your doctor, as it is common for photic sneezers to also sneeze as the needle is injected, which could be a real problem.

It is common to sedate such patients to reduce the risk of sneezing during the procedure.

Answer: sneezing after eating a large meal

Snatiation was first identified as a physiological condition by Ahmed Teebi and Qasel Al-Salehg in a letter titled 'Autosomal dominant sneezing disorder provoked by fullness of stomach' in the 'Journal of Medical Genetics'. They described it in "a phenotypically normal (note: this means he has no obvious visible abnormality) 32-year old man, ... his three brothers, one of his two sisters, his father, an uncle and his son, and the grandfather." They suggested that it is an inherited trait that has been largely overlooked because the sneezes only occur after a large meal, and don't last long; they are seen as annoying, but not the kind of symptom you'd go to see a doctor about. Given this, it may in fact be a widespread phenomenon! The name was coined by Judith G. Hall, as a combination of 'sneeze' and 'satiation'.

Answer: gustatory sneezing

Some people find that foods containing large amounts of chili or black pepper cause an irritation to the mucous membranes of their mouth and nose that induces sneezing. Others experience the same thing after eating aromatic foods such as ginger and (less commonly) garlic. Research has shown that this effect can be controlled by topical application of atropine (spreading it on the skin inside the mouth), but most people simply avoid eating the foods that trigger this response.

Answer: a recently-cleaned kitchen

Inhaled particulates, such as those found in smoke from a fire, can cause sneezing even in individuals who do not suffer from any allergy. Pollen from flowers and dander attached to pet fur are very common allergy triggers, leading to watering eyes and sneezing for sensitive individuals. Of course, there may be individuals who are allergic to cleaning products, who will sneeze in the seemingly-innocuous clean kitchen.

Answer: antihistamine

The body produces histamine when exposed to allergens. Since histamine irritates nerve endings, the body tries to reduce that impact. This may lead to sneezing and itching, as well as watering eyes and a runny nose due to increased mucus production. Taking an antihistamine helps reduce all these symptoms.

Answer: one single sneeze

According to this superstition, two sneezes indicates that something bad is being said about you, three sneezes means that someone is realising that they love you, and more than that means you are getting a cold. The superstition that you sneeze when someone talks about you is as old as the 'Shijing', the oldest known collection of Chinese poetry, written between about 1100 BCE and 600 BCE.

It is still current, and is seen as a trope in a number of manga. If you can't stop at one, try to keep going until you produce a third sneeze!

Answer: wait until the sneeze has started, then pinch your nostrils shut

Blowing your nose might just clear the irritant and reduce the need to sneeze. Pushing your tongue against your teeth and squeezing the top of your nose are both techniques that are reported to work for some people. There are a lot of them suggested out there, including moistening your nostrils (by inserting a damp tissue or inhaling the steam from a hot drink), sniffing freshly-crushed black cumin seeds, tugging your earlobes, and more. Once you have actually started to sneeze, it can be dangerous to try and block it. Sneezing forces air out at speeds up to 150km/hr - sending that force backwards can cause damage to blood vessels or even (in extreme cases) alveolar rupture leading to air escaping from the lungs into the thoracic cavity.

Answer: nobody really knows why this reflex occurs

Actually, not everyone closes their eyes as they sneeze, although it is very common to do so. Some people even make a point of forcing them to stay open, despite the reflex that usually makes them close. There is most definitely no danger that sneezing could make your eyeballs pop out, despite what you can see in cartoons.

The pressure of the expelled air moves through your nose and mouth, with no direct connection to the eyes. Aside from that, eyelids have very little musculature, and would be far too flimsy to hold a flying eyeball in place!

Answer: No

During REM sleep, which usually occupies about a quarter of the time you are asleep, chemical changes in your body produce a state of near-paralysis for most people. Sneezing is not possible in this condition. However, if a sufficient irritant is present, it may cause you to move to a non-REM sleep phase, or even to wake up completely, and sneeze.