Sneeezzzing .... Ouch !!!

[AndyChas]

Hi Justin
Hope the cold is getting better; I bet that wasn't part of your recovery plans! It probably sounds a bit batty, but over the past month or so I've been trying out all the anti-sneezing techniques I've read about here (although I haven't had the occasion to give Dan's no-nonsense method a go yet). Most do actually seem to work about three-quarters of the time, particularly when you get a bit of a warning, but those sudden explosive ones seem almost impossible to stop!
All the best
Andy

 

[danb1983]

Never failed on me, even in those moments of terror where you only have 0.2 seconds to stop an "explosive" sneeze you fear will be powerful enough to re-break your bones

 

[AndyChas]

The Royal Seal of Approval

The Royal Seal of Approval

If it's good enough for her...

 

[Cameron]

Is this before or after she went to "Just powder her nose"?

 

[Gnusgal]

For me, I have found putting pressure in the little "divot" just below your nose (above your lip) can help. But I haven't found anything that works 100% of the time. I am 3.5 weeks out from a right thoracotomy. Sneezing is still painful for me as well. And so is blowing my nose! Which drives me crazy, since I frequently get a runny nose after a shower or eating warm food. I don't recall blowing my nose being a problem when I was recovering from my OHS... Guess it's different muscles being used?

Laughing and coughing are also not-so-fun at the moment. The problem is, my DH (well, my whole family, really) is always cracking jokes. I'll be laughing and crying in pain, not able to stop doing either! It's awful! I'm So ready to be able to laugh again without the tears!

Anyway, I feel your pain. Hope you can find a way to stop the deadly sneezes!

 

[johnfreeman62]

Wow that sucks - I was one of those who had the lucky post surgery side effect of gaining a super power like ability to stop sneezes - I was always a big sneezer. Post surgery I felt one coming on and my body reached someplace deep within - and bam it was gone. I didn't sneeze until almost two months out and by then it was no prob. Now I am back to sneezing and can't stop one with any trick. Our minds/bodies are so weird.

 

[Woodbutcher]

Oh to be gifted with the anti sneezing gene ! You dont know how lucky you were !!
Give Dans "method" a go, it's not very attractive but I zapped an incoming sniper sneeze today with a fraction of a seconds notice !
Well done Andy ! What great foresight to start practising months before, that's seriously organised ! "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail !"

 

[AndyChas]

I had my first opportunity to give Dan's method a go this morning, as I staggered out of bed, and it worked! I had time to pause and think: 'now what do I do again???', so I don't think I've properly tested the 'sniper sneeze' yet!
Andy

 

[abbanabba]

Laughing and coughing are also not-so-fun at the moment. The problem is, my DH (well, my whole family, really) is always cracking jokes. I'll be laughing and crying in pain, not able to stop doing either! It's awful! I'm So ready to be able to laugh again without the tears!

Oh yeah!! I'm actually finding sneezing not so bad (not sure how I've managed that) - but laughing!! It's even worse when I'M the one who makes myself crack up with some lame-ass joke


A : )

 

[PairoDocs]

My own technique for stopping sneezes dead in their tracks was discussed months ago, so here it goes again. It's a bit crude so bear with me. When the urge hits, gently (so you don't give yourself a nosebleed) but firmly stick both index fingers into both nostrils pointing up. Press the septum together, and also press forward toward the tip of your nose simultaneously. Your finger tips should be as far forward in your nose as possible as the most effective part of the septum is there. It almost instantaneously stops all urges to sneeze for me. It worked without a single mishap throughout the crucial first eight weeks post surgery. When I finally let one out (was wearing heavy gloves and was holding something bulky--so unable to get fingers in place) I didn't try to hold back even a little (trying to hold it in is much worse than letting it all out), and it hardly hurt at all--just slightly jostled my upper backbones a bit. A firm smack against a door frame took care of that problem a minute later.

As for the light sensitivity, just wear some good wraparound sunglasses--or if you're not too shy to do so, some dark ski goggles for the glare. I never sneeze from sunlight as long as I wear some good goggles or wraparound sunglasses that let in no bright light even from the sides. This is especially important if there's sunlit snow on the ground or low sunshine reflecting off standing water. I do sneeze from glare, and have done so since childhood, so it's perfectly normal for some people to do so.

Chris

 

[danb1983]

Laughing was a big problem for me too, not just regular laughing - but those ones where you can't stop laughing, it was a total nightmare and created a LOT of muscle tension pain around the cut one time in the early weeks! I don't have any cure for this I just had to run away from whoever was making me laugh and lock myself in my room for half an hour

 

[Woodbutcher]

I've just been experimenting with my wearing my skiing goggles and a sprung wooden clothes peg up my nose pressing down on my septum ! Not sneezed once but it makes your eyes water a bit !! Off to the shop for some milk now to test the public response !?

 

[danb1983]

Im sending the men in white coats for you - if they haven't been round already