Loud sneezing

[crella]

What I don't understand (don't mind, but don't understand) is the vocalization...why are the vocal chords involved? My sneezes are a 'whoosh', DH's are a whoosh accompanied by 'hakushon!!' and my mothers were always accompanied by a loud
'ooooWAAAA' for each sneeze. Quit ear-splitting at times    Funny though. She had allergies and would sneeze 10+ times in a row, without fail.

I can stop a sneeze by pressing on my nose where the bone (cartilage) ends about mid-nose, on the side that has the tickle. Five seconds or so. Works 90% of the time. I can also make myself sneeze (and have, when majorly plugged up and needed relief...thank you. yearly Chinese dust allergy...) by pressing there, inside the nose, with a Q-tip.

[violetminnow]

I have a distinctive sneeze. I can control it sometimes, but it usually doesn't occur to me to try. I think a sneeze is too personal to be something you can ask someone to change. I think telling your friend you don't like it could cause them too feel bad when they do something that's automatic. If it was me I'd start to feel bad and self-conscious whenever I sneezed and I wouldn't consider it a kindness coming from a friend.

[Itza]

Reading your post, this popped into my mind.

“Wherever you may be, let your wind blow free; whether in church or chapel, let it rattle.”

I know it’s a different bodily function, but noise is noise.

Maybe your friend can’t control her sneezes. Unless, she’s just used to doing them one way that anything else genuinely is difficult.

I can control mine, and I have two types: the dainty, for when I’m with company, and the ‘let it free’ variety which goes something like, Waaa-hooo! Boy, I love it! Like a release of tension.

The poor French bloke beside The Seine didn’t think so though. I didn’t know he was there till he turned round from putting something in the back of his van, saying, “Oooooooh.”

[Gyburc]

I have a loud sneeze, and once I'm actually about to sneeze, nothing will muffle it (except stifling it, which is a bad idea, as the PP said). So I sympathise with the lady in the OP.

However, I did learn a hands-free way to stop sneezes before they happen - from my piano teacher of all people, since it's generally frowned on to sneeze on your teacher's piano! She recommended focusing your eyes on a specific point in front of you and staring at it hard; with luck, you can concentrate on staring until the urge to sneeze has gone. It's not infallible, but I find it works more often than not.

[bopper]

My Husband sneezes LOUD!
I have tried to get him to make some sort of indication that he will be sneezing so I can prepare myself.

[SPuck]

I think sneezing is just another bodily function that a person may or may not have have control over, and it isn't up to other people to decide if they should have control over it. For myself I can often control my sneezes, but prefer not to because more often than not it comes back stronger than the initial sneeze.

[Cami]

I have a loud sneeze. The only way I can muffle it is to pinch  my nose and then I have my ears pop. I can't think that's a good idea and my ears hurt for hours afterwards, so I don't do it any more. So sorry, if my sneezes bug you, but I'm not willing to have ear pain for hours to spare you the sound of a sneeze.

[Sharnita]

As far as control my primary concerns are:
1) Cover mouth and nose
2) Don't bite tongue accidentally.

Volume is way down on the list

[LadyClaire]

I can control my sneezes. I know not everyone can, though. My husband sneezes very loudly, and he never sneezes once. It's usually 4 or 5 times.

My "natural" sneeze is quite loud, but I can make it a lot quieter/more controlled when in public.