No matter you sneezed, you get criticized!

[JackJenkey]

These days, it seems that virtually no one's method of sneezing is "socially acceptable"! If you sneeze openly into the air, you get criticized for not covering your face when you sneeze, and spraying your germs all around. If you sneeze out into the air, but turn your head to the side or toward the ground, people still say you should cover your face.

If you cover your nose and mouth with your hands (which is what I was always taught to do as a kid), people say you shouldn't sneeze into your hands! They say it's disgusting because you're getting germs and mucus on your hands, and then touching things around you or other people.

If you plug your nose when you sneeze or stifle it somehow to prevent anything from coming out at all, people lecture you about how it's bad to hold in your sneeze. They say, just let it come out. It's natural. Everyone sneezes!

So, what is a sneezer supposed to do? According to several YouTube clips, it seems that the only way to "properly sneeze" these days, is to sneeze into a tissue or handkerchief, or to sneeze into your sleeve or some part of your arm. However, the problem with tissue thing is that most people aren't going to be holding a tissue in their hand at the moment they feel a sneeze coming. Also, it's instinctive and more comfortable for most people to put their hands up to cover their face because that's what we were taught to do as children. Nobody thinks of sneezing into their sleeves! When I was a kid and wiped my nose with my sleeve, my mother would yell at me and say it was gross!

As an added note, I've noticed that for every 10 people I see sneezing, only 1 will actually sneeze into a tissue or into their sleeve. So, that means 90% of the population sneezes incorrectly! Doesn't that seem a bit odd? This society we live in is really getting to be ridiculous. You can't even sneeze without being subject to criticism!

[zneeze]

I seemed to start to use my sleeve after I read virtually everywhere that it was the most "acceptable" way. But for other people? Any way is fine by me!

[VoOs]

Well, I've always been told to sneeze and cough into my elbow, and I always do, even when I'm alone. It is the best way to prevent spreading your germs, and I really don't see why it should be such a problem to aim for the sleeve when you feel a sneeze coming? It isn't terribly difficult.

Being considerate of others and their well-being is attractive in and by itself, and I find it harder and harder to truly enjoy sneezes that aren't properly covered. Covering with your arm is just polite and respectful, you know? But maybe I'm damaged from the time I worked at a restaurant and my boss used to sneeze into his bare hands and then proceed to handle the food without washing his hands first...

[Morningsmith]

I always try to have tissues when I'm out in public (I may have alterior motives for this). But yes, I certainly do "miss" a lot.

[Chanel_no5]

I always sneeze and cough into my sleeve because like VoOs says, it is the best way to prevent germ-spreading. And I would prefer if others did it as well when they have colds or stuff, because cold/flu germs are... not my favorite thing by far, to put it mildly.

However, anyone sneezing from allergies and nothing else? Go ahead and use your hands. Or me.

[cheech]

i totally agree with this subject and how it seems like people can't even sneeze "properly" without being criticized.

Me, i hate sneezing into arms/sleevs/tissues. As it dosnt spead germs as much- on the "attraction" side, it does nothing for me- and if anything ruins the whole sneeze for me. When people sneeze into there elbows, it really turns me off.

I say, people should be allowed to sneeze how they want- just wash your hands afterwards

[The Sneezster]

In my work, I wear business clothes with a white lab coat over. I always wear makeup to work, too. You know what happens when you have lipstick on and you sneeze into the sleeve of your white lab coat? You get a set of lipstick-red lip marks on your bleach-white sleeve that you get to wear all day. And you just hope that the lipstick will come out in the wash.

Brilliant.

[Chanel_no5]

In my work, I wear business clothes with a white lab coat over. I always wear makeup to work, too.

I probably shouldn't have read that part. What are you working with anyway?

Sorry for threadjacking. To get back on topic I'll just say: I've never actually heard anyone complain about the stifling - except for myself. I often tell people I'd like to see sneeze (openly) to stop stifling because it's bad for their sinuses and can even burst a blood vessel.

[Joal 555]

I reckon to some extent it's a generational thing - I suspect if you go back 50 or 100 years the vast majority of people carried handkerchiefs or tissues on them and could often "catch" sneezes as a result. These days many people don't and therefore use alternative methods.

The most hygienic method must be to stifle as the germs are contained. I'm not convinced that this damages you in some way. I have done it for years, as have loads of other people, with no apparent downsides or side effects.

I am not a fan of the sneeze into the elbow. For me, its unattractive to look at and if the sneeze is not well contained, you are effectively spraying your clothes - why this is deemed either polite or hygienic is a mystery to me.

Oh well, each to his or her own I suppose....

[Giant Steps]

I don't like the elbow thing either. I can see how it's hygienic and everything but I find it very awkward to do. I either end up elbowing myself in the face or the sneeze misses completely! I usually try to sneeze away from people or into my hands (never stifle ).

But the way I see it, it's my sneeze and I'll do it how I want!!

[The Sneezster]

In my work, I wear business clothes with a white lab coat over. I always wear makeup to work, too.

I probably shouldn't have read that part. What are you working with anyway?

I'm a nurse, but I work with the administration/supervision more than the patients.

[Anya]

I have a bad habit of just letting 'em fly. I almost never cover my mouth (unless my kids watching).

[a red nine]

I personally don't care if people sneeze into the air, as long as they aren't sneezing directly onto people. But when people sneeze into their hands, I can't help but think of all the things they'll touch and it frankly grosses me out. Maybe it's one thing to be taught a certain way, but I feel like it's strongly emphasized around people my age to sneeze into your elbow now. That's how I sneeze anyway. I dunno, that's just me. I'm still not about to lecture a person if they sneeze a 'wrong way'.