Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sneezing

Why do split ACs make me sneeze?

phaedrus441 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:08:56 -0800

Why does using the AC make me sneeze? I have a split AC (kind of like this picture), and it always make me sneeze when I use it! At first I thought it was just dusty, but I have cleaned it exhaustively and even replaced the filters, but to no avail. Also, I've noticed the same thing with other people's AC's, sometimes.

In Japan people always say don't sleep with the AC on (everybody here uses this type in their homes), and for what it's worth, I never had a problem with normal central AC back in the US.

I know there's gotta be an HVAC allergy specialist out there somewhere, so help me figure this on out! It's really hot here, so I don't think I can live without the AC, but this sneezing is slowly killing me!

How do I learn to sneeze softly?

riffola — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:12:56 -0800

How do I learn to sneeze softly?

Too bad House, MD isn't a vet

Fiberoptic Zebroid and The Hypnagogic Jerks — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:04:25 -0800

SneezyCatHelpFilter: I adopted an adult female Maine Coon-ish cat back in January. Any suggestions cures on why her nose runs and she keeps sneezing? The previous owner, a close friend, adopted her 6 years ago as a skinny, starving stray. The cat had a runny nose and frequent sneezing from day one, which continues to this day. Previous vet visits, including x-rays of her skull, showed no discernable reason for the condition (Vet: "She's just a sneezy cat, maybe allergies."). While watching her drink about a week ago, I noticed that it appears that a lot of the water she drinks ends up coming right back out her nose. When I first adopted her, I discovered that the bridge of her nose is definitely wider than I've seen on any other cat and one of her eye openings in her skull appears larger than the other, figuring this was no big deal because of the previous vet's x-rays... but now I'm thinking they are related.

I have an appointment in three weeks for a cat-specialized vet, but any ideas on what to try in the interim? She is up on her shots and is feline herpes negative. I switched her to a corn- and wheat-free cat food three weeks ago, but no change. She has been an inside exclusive cat (with a filtered, AC home) and then an "in-and-out as she pleases" cat, but neither seems to effect her nose (so maybe not allergies?).

Kitty sneezing. What to do?

stewiethegreat — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:43:57 -0800

My FIV+ cat is sneezing. A lot. We have a humidifier on, but aren't sure how serious the situation is. We adopted a formerly feral FIV+ (the feline equivalent of HIV) cat a few months ago. He sneezes now and again- probably once a week until the last week and a half. It is dry and colder in our area right now, and I'M sneezing more right now, too, but he's sneezing a lot. Like 36x daily, and a few fits of sneezing with three or four sneezes piled on each other.

We've read the previous ask.me posts about pneumonia in kitties and sneezing cats, but our situation seems a little different. Our kitty is eating and drinking plenty, still breathing fine through his nose, and doing all of his normal activities: attacking our ankles, sleeping, biting our hands, napping, lunging at our legs, drowsing, and the like.

So far, we've gotten a humidifier and turned it on (as of 2 hours ago) and fed him some honey with extra-stinky salmon, which he wolfed down in three seconds flat (under the recommendation of a friend whose logic was: honey is good for human immune systems, it can't be bad for cats)

Any suggestions? We are prone to worrying because FIV cats, when they get sick, often get very, very sick and sometimes die, and we love ol' stinkybutt.

Why do we vocalize sneezes?

George_Spiggott — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:32:05 -0800

Why do we vocalize sneezes? It seems that most people "voice" their sneezes, some in a much more pronounced way than others. Is this learned behavior (presumably not consciously so) or is there some physiological reason for it? Most animals don't seem to do it. Most animals also seem to sneeze with their mouths closed, which would seem like a sensible way to direct the force where it's going to do some good.

uninspired home allergy question

yonation — Thu, 17 May 2007 08:16:51 -0800

trying to isolate sneezing allergy source in my house, think it may be my plant. I have horrible sneezing problems that i've pretty much isolated to my room (ie usually if i sleep elsewhere it isn't a problem). its not a sinus infection, and i dont have watery eyes, itchiness, etc. just horrible sneezing. here are two pictures. what kind of plant is this? i know that it periodically flowers and produces quite sticky "sap". Can this be the source? i also have a wandering jew plant in my room, could that be it? thanks for any help!

Palliatives for the common cold?

killdevil — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:17:13 -0800

An elementary question: I've got a cold. What remed(ies) should I take to feel better? I came down with a hideously nasty cold today. I am not usually one to take over-the-counter remedies other than plain aspirin, but this thing has me totally non-functional and I'm going to have to make an exception. The thing is, I get sick like this so infrequently that I don't have any idea what to buy.

So, what brands/products/combinations of active ingredients work best to ameliorate cold symptoms, in your experience? I.e., what should I go down and buy at the drugstore?

Suggestions of other things I can do to feel better are also welcome.

aaaaa-choo

petsounds — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 09:35:05 -0800

Does sneezing make you stupid? I have pretty bad allergies so I sneeze a lot. Sometimes after four or five sneezes in a row I feel really lightheaded and can't remember what I had been thinking about. Does sneezing kill lots of brain cells? If I sneeze 40 times a day for months at a time is it going to irrevocably make me stupid for life?

Pain in arm from sneezing

weretable and the undead chairs — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 20:20:59 -0800

Part of the time when I sneeze it causes a sharp pain and then a sort of light numbness from my right elbow to my hand. Occasionally I get the sharp pain in my shoulder instead or along with the pain in the lower arm. Any explanation for this? The pain feels similar to when you hit your elbow against something (hitting your "crazy bone") and is intense enough for a few seconds that it could potentially cause me to have a wreck if I were driving. This has happened for years and I asked my doctor about it once and he just shrugged it off as nothing to worry about, but I would like to know WTF causes it. Just a few minutes ago I sneezed and was unable to even hold the mouse for about ten seconds.

Why do we keep sneezing?

ascullion — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:47:15 -0800

Something in our house is making us sneeze. How can I find out what it is? My girlfriend and i live in a brand new flat, we moved in about 8 months ago. For the past 4 months or so (say, since the beginning of winter), we've found ourselves sneezing all the time when we're in the house. How can we track down the culprit?

We have no pets, just so you know. I suffer from hayfever, but my GF has no known allergies.

A bit of (possibly relevant) information. Our flat has just two (massive) windows - one in the bedroom, one in the living room. In the bedroom, we have a condensation problem which we're trying to get resolved. When the condensation problem first reared it's ugly head, it took us a while to notice - and when we finally did, we found mould in various places in the bedroom - for example, on our suitcases under the bed. We cleaned it all up, and haven't found any more since, but I have a hunch that may have something to do with it.

I'm in England, for what it's worth. Thanks in advance.

Why does squeezing pimples make me sneeze?

bunglin jones — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 17:36:59 -0800

Why do I sneeze when I squeeze my pimples? They don't have to be near my nose, just anywhere on my face, really. Everytime I squeeze a zit - sometimes even just applying pressure to the area does it - I sneeze three, maybe four times. Why does it happen and does it happen to anyone else?

a light sneeze

phredhead — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 05:58:11 -0800

Why does looking at a bright light assist in sneezing? I thought I was the only person doing this, but saw a co-worker do it-
Staring at a bright light to facilitate an oncoming sneeze.

What is it about the light that pushes that sneeze from a tickle to a roaring blast of nasal spray?

When I sneeze, I get hiccups!

tomble — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 03:04:35 -0800

Everytime I sneeze, I get hiccups! This has only set in in the last year or two (I'm 31).

I sneeze, then straight away I've got hiccups. Usually they don't last very long, but it's kind of frustrating. Does anyone else experience this? Any ideas what could be going on?

Is it rude not to say,

agregoli — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 10:19:40 -0800

Is it rude not to say, "Thank you" when someone says, "Bless you" after you sneeze? I sneeze. at work. a lot. I get very very tired of everyone saying, "Bless you" after I sneeze, because then I feel socially obligated to say, "Thank you" when I don't even understand why we still have the "Bless you" phenomenon when it doesn't mean anything in this modern world. Can I just stop saying "Thank you" or will people be honestly offended?

Sneezing with My Eyes Open

codger — Fri, 30 Jul 2004 07:46:08 -0800

If sneezing with my eyes open is impossible, why can I do it? ...and is there anybody else out there that also can do this? I only do it so as to not take my eyes off the road when driving.

Do I Have Allergies?

nelleish — Tue, 13 Jul 2004 06:20:18 -0800

Do I have allergies? (more inside) First off: I'm not looking for medical advice, just comments from anyone who does have allergies and maybe recognizes my "symptoms" as such. If it does ever get worse, of course I'll go to a proper doctor, right now I'm just placating curiosity.

So here's the story: I have always tended to sneeze often, but I never really thought about it. However, over the past year or so I've had a constant overproductive nose. I haven't needed to blow it, but there's plenty of muscus and mostly not clear (but instead, other fun colors). It isn't anything truly irritating or impending on any part of my life, but it makes me wonder if I am allergic to something.

The points against it being an allergy is that it hasn't increased or decreased in response to any regular factor. My family has always kept many pets, but I don't live with them anymore. I've always been active outdoors and doubt it's pollen or anything else seasonal. It's been there winter and summer, and regardless of where I'm living (which has variously been southern suburban Ontario, coastal Maine, and rural northern Maine). The only thing I've every reliably concluded as being a trigger for a sneeze or two is ingesting strongly flavored/aromatic mints, otherwise I just sneeze more often than other people. I've used google many times to look up allergies, but I don't suffer from any of the comonly listed symptoms, no congestion or watery eyes, etc.

So am I just a snotty kid, or mildly allergic to everything? Again, I'm not suffering from it (the mint thing is actually a decent party trick), but I just wonder sometimes what causes it, and worry it might get worse, especially since the snot thing is a relatively recent development. Thanks!