Sneezing throughout 70 different countries doesn’t really change save for the sounds that are made and the equivalent of ‘bless you’ that’s said afterwards. The physical act is pretty much the same when the nasal passageways get irritated in some manner. In order to get rid of whatever is in there people will sneeze and hopefully use a tissue or at least their hands to catch the discharge that comes out, if any. It’s also a good idea to turn away from people if at all possible so as to avoid spraying anyone One thing no one really appreciates is being dusted with a fine layer of someone’s spit if they forget to cover their mouth.
The ‘bless you’ portion is quite different between many countries as it can range from salud to gesundheit to any number of sayings that might convey the same meaning. It all basically gives the meaning of someone excusing you for your utterance in some manner, though ‘bless you’ has always seemed like an odd thing to say no matter that it might make sense. Saying ‘bless you’ after all goes way back to a time when it was believed that sneezing and coughing was a sure sign of the plague, which was at one time a very big problem throughout much of Europe. This way, saying the words meant that hopefully a prayer would keep you from a very unpleasant death. It’s safe enough to say that this wasn’t always a successful way to keep people from contracting a deadly disease that could eventually kill them. But the ritual stuck and became automatic throughout the ages as people now do it out of common courtesy most times. Some countries however don’t even bother to say anything and some people even look away as though they’re embarrassed for the person.
Sneezing is pretty normal and can be caused by a lot of different things. Some people are allergic to pollen and during the spring have to remember to take certain medications to avoid sneezing fits that can eventually lead to a great deal of pain and a very sore, raw, and red nose. Other folks are allergic to dander that’s shaken off by pets on a constant basis and have to remember the same thing. Cat dander is a big one for some people that can’t handle it and can lead to more than just sneezing if a person isn’t careful. Even household dust can be a problem for some people as inhaling the dust through the nostrils can irritate the membranes and cause a severe sneezing fit. Sneezing is a natural part of the body’s immune system since it is the body’s attempt to rid the nasal passages of something that’s irritating it.
If a person has a cold or the flu the nose can become extremely runny and stuffed up at times and it therefore becomes harder to rid the body of any unwanted materials if they do happen to enter the nostrils. So yes, sneezing is a good thing, and throughout the world it’s done in different ways.
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