Question:
well, the hairball stuff is thick and gooey, it probably settles down the bronchial airways the same way sucking on cough drops helps to settle down a human's cough.

Answer:
Thanks Tim
We took him to the vet and no asthma. Chest x-ray was normal, lungs sounded good and his heart is of normal size and no murmurs.
No hair balls in his intestinal track.
He thought maybe my cat just snorts in dust and is very sensitive to sprays and small particles. He did give me an antihistamine to see if that helps.