The action of sneezing as captured on a recording

A sneeze (or sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs, most commonly caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. Sneezing can further be triggered through sudden exposure to bright light, a particularly full stomach, or as a result of unexpected, climatic variations in one's environment such as rapid changes in temperature and humidity levels.^{[citation needed]} Look up sneeze in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about epileptic seizures. ... Look up air in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The heart and lungs (from an older edition of Grays Anatomy) The lung is an organ belonging to the respiratory system and interfacing to the circulatory system of air-breathing vertebrates. ... The mucous membranes (or mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, that line various body cavities and internal organs. ... ACHOO syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. ... SNATIATION is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. ...

Sneezing is widely considered to be an agent of disease dissemination many cultures. This article is about the medical term. ...

Biological Mechanism

The spread of aerosols and bioparticles during a typical sneeze

Sneezing typically occurs when foreign particles or sufficient external stimulants pass through the nasal hairs to reach the nasal mucosa. This triggers the release of histamines, which irritate the nerve cells in the nose, resulting in signals being sent to the brain to initiate the sneeze. The brain then relates this initial signal and creates a large opening of the nasal cavity, resulting in a powerful release of air and bioparticles. The reason behind the particularly powerful nature of a sneeze is attributed to its involvement of not simply the nose and mouth, but numerous organs of the upper body – it is a reflectory response that involves the muscles of the face, throat, and chest. Aerosol, is a term derived from the fact that matter floating in air is a suspension (a mixture in which solid or liquid or combined solid-liquid particles are suspended in a fluid). ... The mucous membranes (or mucosa) are linings of ectodermic origin, covered in epithelium, that line various body cavities and internal organs. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Nose (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Brain (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Reflexive (disambiguation). ... The face is the front part of the head and includes the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, teeth, skin, and chin. ... For other uses, see Throat (disambiguation). ... Male Chest The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. ...

The speed of sternal release has been the source of much speculation, with the most conservative estimates placing it around 150 kilometers/hour (42 meters/second) or roughly 95 mph (135 feet/second), and the highest estimates -such as the JFK Health World Museum in Barrington, Illinois- which propose a speed as fast as 85% of the speed of sound, corresponding to approximately 1045 kilometers per hour (290 meters/second) or roughly 650 mph (950 feet/second). Incorporated Village in 1865. ... For other uses, see Speed of sound (disambiguation). ...

An alternative cause of sternutation is sudden exposure to bright light - a bodily attribute known as the photic sneeze reflex. Up to 37 percent of individuals are believed to have this particular genetic trait^{[citation needed]}, which is most commonly related to exposure to direct sunlight. ACHOO syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. ... Look up Genetic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ...

A rarer alternative trigger, in some individuals, is the fullness of the stomach immediately after a large meal. This is known as snatiation and is regarded a medical disorder passed along genetically as an autosomal dominant trait. In anatomy, the stomach is a bean-shaped hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication. ... SNATIATION is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. ... Genetics (from the Greek genno γεννώ= give birth) is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Dominance relationship. ...

There are numerous suggested ways of countering the act of sneezing, although such proposed remedies are largely based on non-scientific suggestions as derived from personal experience or subjective preference. Examples of such alleged preventative techniques include the emptying of the air in the lungs that would otherwise be used in the act of sneezing through deep exhalation, holding in one's breath while counting to ten, staring up at a bright ceiling lamp, and crinkling one's nose, among others.

Some proven significant tips to reduce sneezing involve reducing interaction with potential irritants, such as keeping pets out of the house to avoid animal dander; taking measures to ensure the timely and continuous removal of dirt and dust particles through proper housekeeping; replacing filters for furnaces and air-handling units; employing air filtration devices and humidifiers; and staying away from industrial and agricultural zones.^[1] The word irritant may refer to: Something that causes irritation, often a chemical substance. ... Dander is material shed from the body of various animals, similar to dandruff. ... Look up dust in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A humidifier is a household appliance that increases humidity (moisture) in a single room or in the entire home. ...

Epidemiology

While generally harmless in healthy individuals, sneezes are capable of spreading disease through the potentially infectious aerosol droplets that they can expel, which commonly range from 0.5 to 5 µm in diameter. About 40,000 such droplets can be produced by a single sneeze.^[2] This article is about the medical term. ... Infection is also the title of an episode of the television series Babylon 5; see Infection (Babylon 5). ... Aerosol, is a term derived from the fact that matter floating in air is a suspension (a mixture in which solid or liquid or combined solid-liquid particles are suspended in a fluid). ... A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer, symbol µm) is an SI unit of length. ...

Onomatopoeia

Some common English onomatopoeias for the sneeze sound are achoo, atchoo, achew, and atisshoo, with the first syllable corresponding to the sudden intake of air, and the second to the sound of the sneeze. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... For the supervillain, see Onomatopoeia (comics). ...

A similar linguistic approach has been taken with several other languages; in French, the sound "Atchoum!" is used; in Finnish "Atsiuh!"; in Swedish "Atjo"; in Hebrew "Apchi!"; in German "Hatschie!"; in Hungary "Hapci!"; in Polish, "Apsik!"; in Turkish, "Hapşu!"; in Italian, "Etciù!"; in Spanish "¡Achú!" or "¡Achís!"; in Portuguese, "Atchim!"; in Romanian "Hapciu!" and in Japanese, "Hakushon!". In Cypriot Greek, the word is "Apshoo!", incidentally also the name of a village, which is the cause of much mirth locally. French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... Finnish ( , or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% as of 2006[3]) and by ethnic Finns outside of Finland. ... Swedish ( ) is a North Germanic language, spoken predominantly in Sweden, parts of Finland, especially along the coast, on the Ã…land islands, by more than nine million people. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... Hungarian (magyar nyelv  ) is a Finno-Ugric language (more specifically an Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. ... Polish (jÄ™zyk polski, polszczyzna) is the official language of Poland. ... Turkish ( IPA ) is a language spoken by 65–73 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. ... Italian ( , or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people,[4] primarily in Italy. ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Portuguese (  or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain) and northern Portugal from the Latin spoken by romanized Celtiberians about 1000 years ago. ... Not to be confused with the Javanese language. ... Greek ( IPA: or simply IPA: — Hellenic) has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single natural language in the Indo-European language family. ...

In Howards End, by E.M. Forster, a sneeze in polite society is "a-tissue" - a nice allusion to its respective remedy. Howards End is a novel by E. M. Forster, first published in 1910, which tells a story of class struggle in turn-of-the-century England. ... Edward Morgan Forster (January 1, 1879 - June 7, 1970) was an English novelist. ...

Beliefs and Cultural Aspects

In the Hellenistic cultures of Classical Antiquity, sneezes were believed to be prophetic signs from the gods. In 410 BC, for instance, the Athenian general Xenophon gave a dramatic oration exhorting his fellow soldiers to follow him to liberty or to death against the Persians. He spoke for an hour motivating his army and assuring them of a safe return to Athens until a soldier underscored his conclusion with a sneeze. Thinking that this sneeze was a favorable sign from the gods, the soldiers bowed before Xenophon and followed his command. Another divine moment of sneezing for the Greeks occurs in the story of Odysseus. When Odysseus returns home disguised as a beggar and talks with his waiting wife Penelope, she says to Odysseus, not knowing to whom she speaks, that "[her husband] will return safely to challenge her suitors"". At that moment, their son sneezes loudly and Penelope laughs with joy, reassured that it is a sign from the gods.^{[citation needed]} The term Hellenistic (derived from Héllēn, the Greeks traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the spreading of Greek culture over the non-Greek people that were conquered by Alexander the Great. ... Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... A listing of Greek mythological beings. ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... Xenophon, Greek historian Xenophon (In Greek , ca. ... Persia redirects here. ... For other uses, see Army (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... This article is about a military rank. ... A listing of Greek mythological beings. ... Xenophon, Greek historian Xenophon (In Greek , ca. ... For other uses, see Odysseus (disambiguation). ... Beggars in Samarkand, 1905 Begging includes the various methods used by persons to obtain money, food, shelter, or other necessities from people they encounter during the course of their travels. ... The Vatican Penelope: a Roman marble copy of an Early Classical 6th-century Greek work (Vatican Museums) For other uses, see Penelope (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Odysseus (disambiguation). ... A listing of Greek mythological beings. ...

In Europe, principally around the early Middle Ages, it was believed that one's life was in fact tied to one's breath - a belief reflected in the word "expire" (originally meaning "to exhale") gaining the additional meaning of "to come to an end" or "to die". This connection, coupled with the significant amount of breath expelled from the body during a sneeze, had likely^{[citation needed]} led people to believe that sneezing could easily be fatal. This theory, if proven conclusively, could in turn explain the reasoning behind the traditional "God bless you" response to a sneeze, the origins of which are currently unclear. (see "Traditional Responses To A Sneeze" below for alternative explanations) For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Breathing transports oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out of the body. ...

In certain parts of Eastern Asia, particularly in Japanese culture, a sneeze without an obvious cause was generally perceived as a sign that someone was talking about the sneezer at that very moment. In China and Japan, for instance, there is a superstition that if you talk behind someone's back, the person in question will sneeze; as such, the sneezer can tell if something good is being said (one sneeze), something bad is being said (two sneezes in a row), or if this is a sign that they are about to catch a cold (multiple sneezes). East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Japanese culture and language Japans isolation until the arrival of the Black Ships and the Meiji era produced a culture distinctively different from any other, and echoes of this uniqueness persist today. ... For other uses, see Superstition (disambiguation). ... // Acute viral nasopharyngitis, or acute coryza, usually known as the common cold, is a highly contagious, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, primarily caused by picornaviruses or coronaviruses. ...

Similarly, in Nepal, sneezers are believed to be remembered by someone at that particular moment.

In Indian culture, especially in northern parts of India, it has been a common superstition that a sneeze taking place before the start of any work was a sign of impending bad interruption. It was thus customary to pause in order to drink water or break any work rhythm before resuming the job at hand in order to prevent any misfortune from occurring. The culture of India has been shaped by the long history of India, all the while absorbing customs, traditions and ideas from both immigrants and invaders, yet resiliently preserving the ancient Vedic culture derived from the Indus Valley Civilization. ... Dark green region marks the approximate extent of northern India while the regions marked as light green lies within the sphere of north Indian influence. ... For other uses, see Superstition (disambiguation). ...

The practice among certain Islamic cultures, in turn, has largely been based on various Prophetic traditions and the teachings of Muhammad. An example of this is Al-Bukhaari's narrations from Abu Hurayrah that the Islamic prophet once said:
Muslim culture is a term primarily used in secular academia to describe all cultural practices common to historically Islamic peoples. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... `Abd al-Rahman ibn Sakhr Al-Azdi (d. ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam. ...

When one of you sneezes, let him say, "Al-hamdu-Lillah" (Praise be to Allah), and let his brother or companion say to him, "Yarhamuk Allah" (May Allah have mercy on you). If he says, "Yarhamuk-Allah", then let [the sneezer] say, "Yahdeekum Allah wa yuslihu baalakum" (May Allah guide you and rectify your condition). Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ... Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ... Allah is the Arabic language word for God. ...

Traditional Responses to a Sneeze

In English-speaking countries, a common response to a sneeze by those around is "God bless you", or more commonly just "Bless you". The origins and purpose of this tradition are unknown, and several competing explanations have been proposed over time; (1) Preventing the soul from departing one's body, as explained in the "Beliefs and Cultural Aspects" section above; (2) An effort to prevent possible death due to a lethal disease such as the plague pandemics of the fourteenth century; and (3) A method of protection against evil spirits entering the body through the open mouth of a sneezing individual. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Look up Bless you in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article concerns the mid fourteenth century pandemic. ...

Today, it is said mostly in the spirit of good manners. // In sociology, manners are the unenforced standards of conduct which show the actor to be cultured, polite, and refined. ...

In various other cultures, words referencing good health or a long life are used instead of "Bless you". This article is about life in general. ...

• In Albanian, one says shëndet (shuhn-det).
• In Arabic, (Levantine Arabic) the response is صحة (Sahha), which likely evolved from the word صحة (Sihha), meaning "health", or نشوة (Nashweh) which means "ecstasy". The response is either thank you شكرا (Shukran) or تسلم (Tislam/Taslam) which means "may you be kept safe".
• In Armenian, one says առողջություն (aroghjootyoon).
• In Azeri, sneezing is usually followed by the response Sağlam ol, which means "be healthy"
• In Bulgarian, one says "Наздраве!" ("Nazdrave!"), which means "[to your] health" or "cheers". The person who has sneezed can then say "Благодаря." ("Blagodarya."), which means "Thank you."
• In Chinese, one says 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) (Standard Mandarin) or 唔好意思 (Standard Cantonese), meaning "excuse me" or "sorry".
• In Dutch, one usually says Gezondheid (literally translated as "health") or Proost (which means "cheers", see Latin below).
• In Estonian, one says Terviseks, which means "[to your] health".
• In Finnish, one says Terveydeksi, which means "[to your] health".
• In French, after the first sneeze, one says à tes souhaits which means "to your desires". If the same person sneezes again, the second response is à tes amours, which means "to your loves."
• In German, Gesundheit ([to your] "Health") is occasionally said after a sneeze.
• In Hebrew, one says לבריאות (labri'ut/livri'ut), meaning "to health".
• In Hungarian, one says Egészségedre!, which means "[to your] health".
• In Icelandic, one says Guð hjálpi þér! ("God help you!"). There is also an old custom to respond three times to three sneezes like so: Guð hjálpi þér ("God help you"), styrki þig ("strengthen you"), og styðji ("and support").^[3]
• In Italian, one says Salute, which means "[to your] health".
• In Japanese, a sneezer might apologize for the outburst, by saying すみません (Sumimasen) or 失礼しました (Shitsurei shimashita), meaning "excuse me".
• In Kyrgyz, one says Акчуч! [aqˈʧuʧ] (which may be based on an onomatopœia of the sound of a sneeze, like English "atchoo" discussed above), to which one may respond Ракмат!, meaning "thank you", if the person who said "акчуч" is liked.
• In Lithuanian, one says Į sveikatą, which means "to your health". And person which sneezes answer Ačiū that translates as "Thank you".
• In Maltese, one says Evviva, which comes from the Latin for "he/she is alive!".
• In Norway, Sweden and Denmark, one says Prosit - Latin for "may it advantage (you)".^[4]
• In Persian, if the sneeze is especially dramatic, Afiat bahsheh (عافیت باشه) is said.
• In Polish, Na zdrowie ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze as is Sto lat ([I wish you] a hundred years [of health]).
• In European Portuguese one says Santinho, which means "Little Saint", while in Brazilian Portuguese, one says Saúde, which means "[to your] health".
• In Romanian, one says Sănătate ("[to your] health") or Noroc ("[to your] luck").
• In Russian, the appropriate response is будь здоров(а) which means "be healthy." For sneezer it is polite to reply спасибо meaning "thank you."
• In Serbian, Na zdravlje (almost always pronounced nazdravlje) ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze. For sneezer it is polite to reply Hvala meaning "thank you."
• In Slovak, Na zdravie ([to your] "Health") is said after a sneeze. For sneezer it is polite to reply Ďakujem meaning "thank you."
• In Somali, one says Jir, which means "Live Long".
• In Spanish, one says Salud, which means "[to your] health"
• In Tamil, one says Nooru aayisu for the first time, which means "(Have a life of) 100 years", for the second time it would be Theerga-aayisu which means "(Have) a Long life" and for the third time it would be Poorna-aayisu which means "(Have) a healthy long life".
• In Telugu, particularly around the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, the phrase is Chiranjeeva, which translates to "(May you be blessed with a) Life without death".
• In Turkish, a sneezer is always told to Çok Yaşa, i.e. "Live Long", which in turn receives a response of either Sen De Gör ("[and I hope that] you see it") or Hep Beraber ("all together"). This is to indicate the sneezer's wish that the person wishing them a long life also has a long life so they can "live long" "all together". For more polite circles, one might say Güzel Yaşayın, i.e. "[May You] Live Beautifully", which may be countered with a Siz de Görün ("[And may You] witness it").
• In Vietnamese, the response is traditionally Sống lâu, i.e. "(Be) 100 years old" which, like "Bless You", an abbreviation of "Wish you a long life of a hundred years."

Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Levantine Arabic (sometimes called Eastern Arabic) is a group of Arabic dialects spoken in the 100 km-wide eastern-Mediterranean coastal strip known as the Levant, i. ... The Azerbaijani language, also called Azeri, Azari, Azeri Turkish, or Azerbaijani Turkish, is the official language of the Republic of Azerbaijan. ... Map of eastern China and Taiwan, showing the historic distribution of Mandarin Chinese in light brown. ... Standard Cantonese is a variant, and is generally considered the prestige dialect of Cantonese Chinese. ... Look up Gesundheit in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Kyrgyz or Kirghiz (Kyrgyz tili, Кыргыз тили, قىرعىز ٴتىلى) is a Turkic language, and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Farsi redirects here. ... Portuguese (  or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain) and northern Portugal from the Latin spoken by romanized Celtiberians about 1000 years ago. ... Portuguese (  or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain) and northern Portugal from the Latin spoken by romanized Celtiberians about 1000 years ago. ... Serbian (; ) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs in the Serbian diaspora. ... Tamil ( ; IPA: ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people, originating on the Indian subcontinent. ... Telugu may refer to: Telugu language Telugu literature Telugu people Telugu script Telugu films Look up Telugu in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Andhra redirects here. ...

See also

• Photic sneeze reflex
• Snatiation

ACHOO syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. ... SNATIATION is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. ...

Notes

1. ^ Adkinson NF Jr. (2003). "Middleton’s Allergy: Principles and Practice.". Phytomedicine.. 
2. ^ Cole EC, Cook CE. Characterization of infectious aerosols in health care facilities: an aid to effective engineering controls and preventive strategies. Am J Infect Control. 1998 Aug;26(4):453-64. Sneezing can transmit many diseases PMID 9721404
3. ^ Visindavefur.is (Icelandic): http://visindavefur.is/svar.php?id=6044
4. ^ Dictionary.com: prosit http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prosit

References

• Ancient Sneezing: A Gift from the Gods - Elaine Fantham, Professor of Classics at Princeton on NPR Radio.
• Why do my eyes close every time I sneeze? M.G., Sherborn The Boston Globe

Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... NPR logo For other meanings of NPR see NPR (disambiguation) National Public Radio (NPR) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that sells programming to member radio stations; together they are a loosely organized public radio network in the United States. ... The Boston Globe (and Boston Sunday Globe) is the most widely circulated daily newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts and New England. ...

Further reading

• Cecil Adams (1987). "If you hold your eyelids open while sneezing, will your eyes pop out?". The Straight Dope.
• Barbara Mikkelson (2001). "Bless You!" Urban Legends Reference Pages.
• Tom Wilson, M.D. (1997) "Why do we sneeze when we look at the sun?" MadSci Network.

External links

• The Origins of Popular Superstitions and Customs - T. Sharper Knowlson (1910), a book that listed many superstitions and customs that are still common today.
• Sneezing - Causes, Treatments and good Sneezing Practices