Are you a loud sneezer, and are you embarrassed by it? “The Washington Post” did a big article on how it IS possible to learn to sneeze more quietly
An ear-nose-and-throat doctor said if you need proof, just go to Japan. You’ll almost never hear a loud sneeze there, because it’s considered rude.
A lot of loud sneezers don’t want to change. One woman they talked to said she basically screams, and she’s fine with it because it’s so satisfying. But if you DO want to achieve a near-silent sneeze, here are the four steps to do it . . .
1. Exhale right before it happens. The more air that’s in your lungs, the louder your sneeze will be. (But don’t you feel an irresistible urge to INHALE right before you sneeze? It’s the “ah” in “achoo.”)
2. Relax your vocal cords. Imagine you’re letting out a deep sigh. The high-pitched “ooo” at the end of “achoo” only happens if your vocal cords vibrate and your mouth is open.
3. Keep your mouth closed. Push your tongue up to the roof of your mouth to direct air pressure though your nose instead.
4. Sneeze into your elbow. It obviously muffles the sound. It’s also more polite than just sneezing out into the open air.
The one thing you should NEVER do is try to completely hold in a sneeze. In rare cases, it can rupture your eardrums or tear a HOLE in your throat. (!!!)
(WaPo)
