Is it possible to suppress a sneeze by pressing your upper lip?

While attending a funeral is never enjoyable, you want to honor the memory of your beloved Great Aunt Fern. As the room falls silent and the prayer begins, an unmistakable tickle in your nose signals an impending sneeze.

Attempting to stifle the sensation by exhaling slowly through your nose proves futile. Desperate, you press your fingers firmly against your upper lip, and to your relief, the sneeze subsides. This is a welcome reprieve, as your notoriously loud and dramatic sneezes would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention during such a solemn occasion.

Many people swear that pressing your fingers against your upper lip can stop a sneeze. This action stimulates the area, potentially disrupting the signals sent by the brain through facial nerves. Activating the nerves above your lip also impacts the nerves in your nasal passages. These receptors send feedback to the brain’s nerve center, effectively blocking the sneeze signal [source: Encyclopedia Britannica].

Applying pressure to your upper lip is one of the most effective ways to prevent a sneeze. Alternatives, like pinching your nostrils shut, can force air through the Eustachian tube, risking eardrum damage. This may result in hearing loss or chronic dizziness. Additionally, suppressing a sneeze can push infected mucus into the Eustachian tube, potentially causing a severe middle ear infection.

Sneezing is mostly an involuntary reflex triggered by irritants like dust or pollen in your nasal passages. Like all reflexes, it follows a specific pathway from receptor to effector [source: Medicalook].

When irritants touch the nerve endings in your nostrils, signals are sent to the limbic system (the sneezing center) in your brain stem. This center then activates facial nerves, as well as nerves in the lungs and diaphragm, leading to nasal fluid secretion and watery eyes.

Your diaphragm suddenly contracts, forcing an involuntary deep breath. Shortly after, chest and throat muscles tighten, expelling air through your nose and mouth at speeds up to 100 miles per hour [source: Bennett]. Successfully halting this process by simply pressing your upper lip is a remarkable feat.