However, it is not known if this promotion of sneezing was done to hasten his death (as coup de grâce) or as an ultimate attempt at treatment. In certain parts of Eastern Asia, particularly in Chinese culture, Korean culture, Japanese culture and Vietnamese culture, a sneeze without an obvious cause was generally perceived as a sign that someone was talking about the sneezer at that very moment. This can be seen in the Book of Songs (a collection of Chinese poems) in ancient China as early as 1000 BC, and in Japan this belief is still depicted in present-day manga and anime. In China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan, for instance, there is a superstition that if talking behind someones back causes the person being talked about to sneeze; as such, the sneezer can tell if something good is being said (one sneeze), someone is thinking about you (two sneezes in a row), even if someone is in love with you (three sneezes in a row) or if this is a sign that they are about to catch a cold (multiple sneezes).Parallel beliefs are known to exist around the world, particularly in contemporary Greek, Slavic, Celtic, English, French, and Indian cultures. Similarly, in Nepal, sneezers are believed to be remembered by someone at that particular moment.In English, the onomatopoeia for sneezes is usually spelled achoo and it is similar to that of different cultures.
Another less common verbal response in the United States and Canada to anothers sneeze is "Gesundheit", which is a German word that means, appropriately, "good health". Several hypotheses exist for why the custom arose of saying "bless you" or "God bless you" in the context of sneezing:

Some say it came into use during the plague pandemics of the 14th century. Blessing the individual after showing such a symptom was thought to prevent possible impending death due to the lethal disease. In Renaissance times, a superstition was formed claiming ones heart stopped for a very brief moment during the sneeze; saying bless you was a sign of prayer that the heart would not fail. It has also been stated that one says "(God) bless you" so that one does not catch the flu, cold, or any other forms of sickness.Other cultures have similar traditions:

In China, after a person sneezes they often say "百岁!" which translates to "may you live one hundred years!" the pronunciation is similar to "bless you" in English. pronunciation: [Bai Sui]
In Iran, it is common to respond to sneezing with the Persian phrase عافیت باشه âfiyat bâše, which translates to "health", similar to common European expressions. Indian culture is to respond with Krishna, similar to a blessing in western cultures. In Italy after a person sneezes the people present respond with the word "salute" (meaning: health). The louder the sneeze the more emphatic the response. In Slovakia, after a person sneezes, it is proper to say "Na zdravie!" which means "For health!