Because they exaggerate their importance, come from a place of underlying weakness, and expect to be doted upon, sneezes are the showy narcissists of protective human reflexes. Sneezes are always met with fawning remarks, such as "Gesundheit!" ("Health!" in German) and of course, "Bless you!" This dynamic is unfair to coughs, which do similar work but are always met with words such as, "Cover your mouth, you sick bastard." 

Gushing over sneezes makes even less sense when you consider that they're usually grosser and always more dangerous to bystanders than coughs. A sneeze can send tens of thousands of bacteria-filled, microscopic droplets into the air at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. On the other hand, coughs typically deliver around 3,000 droplets at 50 mph. This is a more prudent approach to clearing pollutants from our upper airways and should be recognized. Perhaps we should say "Gute albeit!" ("Good work!" in German) to anyone who coughs. Whatever. It really doesn't matter what we say to coughers, as long as it's in German.

Why all the well wishing to sneezers? The practice started thousands of years ago when they knew that anyone who sneezed was probs gonna die. But even back then, the sneezing part of a cold only lasted a day or two. If you survived that, the coughing phase could go on and on and on, which was irritating to fellow townspeople. Many sick bastards, relieved at having lived through all the sneezing, were clubbed to death because of a nagging cough. 

Discrimination against the cough should not continue because science has shown us the benefits of this healing reflex. But the matter will soon be moot, because the common cold has pretty much been eradicated by people sneezing and coughing into their inner elbows.