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Comment by WhoBeI | Hacker News Reader

Regarding sneezing: next time you feel your nose itching squeeze the top portion of your right ring finger real hard. I have no clue why it works but in most cases (say 90%) it works for me.

Then again I sneeze when ever I look up at a clear blue sky so it might just be my wiring. :)

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You (and I) probably have the photic sneeze reflex. Maybe a third of people have it. Its cause is not perfectly understood, but maybe relates to sensory information from the nose and the eyes traveling along some of the same nerves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex

Funny, I heard remedies for incoming sneezes from several people and it's a different method every time, I'm not exaggerating. Pressing up the tip of your nose, press against the forehead, press your tongue against the palate etc. The latter works best for me, BTW. I better not try to find a theory what's the real cause.

Just cover your nostrils with the side of your pointing finger. That usually stops the sneeze. My theory is that it stops the flow into your inner nose of whatever is causing you to sneeze; most likely some type of micro particles.

Breathing out through my nose works for me. Seems to quiet the sneezing "itch".

Breathing in through my nose intensifies it.

I once had a secretary who - whenever she saw I was about to sneeze - yelled: "I bet you can't do it, bet you can't do it", in a childish, daring voice. Totally worked every time.

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