Girl can't stop sneezing

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A 12-year-old Chesapeake, Va., girl who sneezes as much as 16 times per minute may have a rare condition known as machine-gun sneezing, an allergist said.

Lauren Johnson started sneezing about two weeks ago when she was recovering from a cold, her mother, Lynn Johnson, told ABC's "Good Morning America" in a story broadcast Wednesday.

"It's frustrating a lot," Lauren said, sneezing four times before finishing that sentence. She has stopped going to school and stops sneezing only when she's asleep, though her sneezing makes it difficult to fall asleep.

Machine-gun sneezing can be triggered by allergies, sinus problems or growths in a nasal passage, allergist Dr. Clifford Bassett said.

Lauren also is seeing a therapist to determine if her problem may be emotionally related, her mother said.

"It's helpless to know ... no matter what you do, you can't help her," Lynn Johnson said.