Physical Wellness

Your Sneeze May Reveal Secrets of Your Personality

By Makini Brice | Update Date: Apr 24, 2013 01:25 PM EDT

It's springtime! While that means blossoming flowers and the return of warm weather in many areas, for a great deal of people, it also means the return of seasonal allergies. That means that a number of people are getting used to hearing sneezes and sniffles in the office. Those sneezes are not just a biological reflex - they are also a gateway to your personality.

We all know people who sneeze loudly and comically, and other people whose sneezes are as quiet as a mouse. According to NBC News, sneezing itself is an involuntary reaction. It occurs when the body detects bacteria or other elements that could potentially harm the body. However, we can control the way that sneezes come out. While bone structure may play a role in sneezing style, it is not that significant.

The Tampa Bay Times previously reported that allergy drug Benadryl commissioned Atlanta-based body language expert Patti Wood to perform a study on the link between sneezes and personality types. After studying 500 people, recording their personality traits and sneeze styles, she was able to find four distinct types of sneezes that correlated with the personalities that she studied.

The "get appreciated sneezer" often sneezes loudly, comically and in multiples, and is typically outgoing, demonstrative and charismatic. The "get along sneezer" tries to minimize the sound of their sneeze; these people are generally polite, friendly and calm. "Get it done" sneezers often sneeze loudly, quickly and forcefully; these people are decisive and efficient leaders. The last type is the "be right sneezer", who always covers his or her mouth while sneezing; these people are reserved, tidy and methodical.

However, one expert says that sneezing is not simply about biology or personality. Attitudes about sex may be found in sneezes as well. "When we think about sneezing, it's almost orgasmic in its quality," Dr. Alan Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist in Chicago, said to NBC News. "By giving in to it, you're experiencing the positive pleasures of a nasal orgasm. So if someone is more sexually repressed, they may withhold it. But if they're hedonistically-oriented and like pleasure, they may sneeze loudly and strongly."

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