This morning I followed my morning routine of getting ready for work and a most awful sensation struck whilst I was gargling mouthwash... the sudden urge to sneeze. Now anyone that knows me personally (and had the misfortune to witness it happen), are aware that I sneeze rather violently. And even that is putting it mildly. We this in mind, I tried to hold it in a few seconds, just long enough to spit out the liquid. EPIC FAIL!!!

What ended up happening was a mess of green fluid and probably phlegm all over my sink, mirror and bathroom wall. The ensuing cleanup inspired me to do some research on how to stop sneezes in the future. Thank you WikiHow (keep in mind, most of these won't work if you have a mouth full of fluid though).

#5: Tickle the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue when you feel the sneeze coming on. Continue until the urge to sneeze dissipates. This should take 5 to 10 seconds.

 

#4: If you tend to have long sneezing jags, blow your nose frequently to clear your nostrils of irritants.

 

#3: Press your tongue behind your two front teeth, where the roof of your mouth meets the gum palate or alveolar ridge. Press hard with your most powerful muscles against your teeth until the tickling sensation dissipates.

 

#2: Pinch the tip of your nose just before you sneeze and hold your breath. This may cause your ears to pop.

 

#1: Know when not to stop a sneeze. A sneeze, known technically as a sternutation, is a major deal for the body. The typical sneeze removes air from your body at speeds up to 100 MPH, tremendous velocities that can cause serious injury if incorrectly stifled. That's why you should never try to stop a sneeze that is in progress. For example, do not hold your nose or block your mouth while sneezing. Doing so can cause serious injury. The force and velocity of the average sneeze, if prevented from ejection from the body, can eventually cause hearing loss and damage the blood vessels in your head, especially if you make a habit of stopping a sneeze when it's already begun.

After reading #1, it kind of makes you not want to try #5 - #2, but hey... it's out there for you anyway. If you have any remedies of your own, please share.

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