How To Make Yourself Sneeze: Top 9 Incredible Ways

Sneezing is normal physiological phenomena. Usually, most people only sneeze once, twice or even three times in a row [1].

Sneezing helps us to push out the foreigners in the respiratory tract. However, when sneezing too much, that may indicate some diseases.

In some situations, you might have to sneeze to remove the foreign agents, but you can’t sneeze. So, you should know how to make yourself sneeze or how to make you sneeze in correct ways.

This article below will show you everything you need to know about a sneeze and how to make yourself sneeze: causes, symptoms and what to do.

How do people sneeze?

Sneezing is a human reflex that is triggered when nerve endings inside the nasal mucosa stimulate [2].

Sneezing is a natural reaction of the body. Sneezing is the process that discharge from the lungs goes through the nose and mouth then pushes out in the air.

Sneezing is a positive reaction because it exerts mucus that contains foreign particles that irritate and clean the nasal cavity.

Sneezing causes by stimulation of the nasal mucosa of small objects outside the body. A sneeze is like an explosion and is an involuntary and uncontrolled action [3].

It usually occurs when the nose stimulates by small objects outside the body such as when suddenly strange smells, immediate contact with light, sudden temperature changes, etc.

Other rare reasons such as starting chewing gum, after exercising, plucking eyebrows… can also create your sneezing. So that, we can use these characteristics to make yourself sneeze.

What causes you to sneeze?

Sneezing occurs when the mucous membrane is affected by factors such as cold, stimulants (dust, fresh onion, perfume, pollen, a dye in fabric…). Sometimes, the weather changes, as result people have sneezed constantly.

After sneezing, you may return to normal, or sneeze, followed by fever, runny nose, stuffy nose, cough, hoarseness, even loss of voice.

The change in temperature, humidity in the environment or the blossoming of spring flowers also make people with allergic nose and throat; they may cause your sneezing which more often. It is uncomfortable to avoid (unless they change habitat) [4].

Working in the offices where there are the air-conditioned and glass rooms increases the number of people who suffer from severe sneezing.

Why does sneezing feel good?

Sneezing expels mucus containing foreign particles that irritate and clean the nasal cavity.

While sneezing, the palate of the mouth and the tongue press down while the back of the tongue lifts to partially block the passage from the lung to the mouth, so that air from the lungs pushes through the nose.

A significant amount of air is ejected through the passage. Sneeze reflux involves the contraction of several different muscles, often including the eyelid.

Many people believe that they cannot open their eyes while sneezing. However, this has been proven to be inaccurate [4].

Moreover, Endorphins, the chemicals bring pleasure feeling, are released by your body during sneezing. Sneezing also stimulates Serotonin production process that make you feel good [5].

Sneezing is an unconditional reflex and cannot stop once it has started. That can explain why does it feel so good when you sneeze.

How to make yourself sneeze?

Sneezing brings a great feeling for us. However, sometimes you can’t sneeze with unknown reasons. At that time, you can make yourself sneeze by some tricks.

In babies, sometimes, they feel more comfortable to sneeze because they can remove the foreigners in their immature respiratory tract.

These following information will bring some ways in how to make yourself sneeze.

1. How to sneeze by looking at a light source

Do you know that the most efficient way to sneeze is looking at a light source. Suddenly looking at the light makes us sneezing [6].

Some people just look at the light bulb which is enough to cause them to sneeze.

There is a connection between the light and the reflex sneeze. Many studies have demonstrated that the trigeminal nerve controlling the reflex sneezing accidentally runs along the optic nerve [7].

When the optic nerves are overstimulated, the signal will transfer to the trigeminal part. It is similar to the data cables that can interfere. Then, it stimulates you to sneeze [7].

You can do this method by stepping into the bright room, or closing your eyes and stepping out into the sun. If you are a person who has reflex sneeze due to light, you are likely to sneeze and sneeze repeatedly.

In fact, a lot of people sneeze as they move from a dark space to a bright area. Remember that do not look directly at the sun because it can damage your eyes.

2. How to force a sneeze by using the spices and stimulating flavor

If you are trying to sneeze but you can’t do it. Why don’t you try to inhale some strong spices like pepper.

However, be careful with spices and make sure that the spices do not fly into the eye. Avoid inhaling the chili powder directly in the vial.

Eating some spicy food is another effective method. Let pick something that contains lots of pepper, dill, parsley or chili.

If you grind any of these spices, you will probably sneeze before you enjoy the dish. Dishes will also be much better by these spices.

Take a little bit of chili oil if you want to sneeze. Chili oil is naturally extracted from chili and is used in pharmaceutical preparations and the production of pepper spray [6].

Chili oil is also sometimes indicated for the relief of nasal polyps and is safe to use although mildly painful to use.

If you only need to deal with a temporary sneeze, do not put chili pepper in the nose because it will cause burning. Moreover, rub the tip of the cotton swab into the chili oil and sniff the oil. You will sneeze.

3. How to induce sneezing by chewing strong mint

Chewing gum mint is also an effective way of activating sneezing reflexes.

So always keep a mint gum in your pocket and use it every time you feel uncomfortable with the feeling of sneezing but not getting it.

For some people, the strong mint smells suddenly hit the nose can cause sneezing.

Theoretically, the sudden cool taste will stimulate the nose causing sneezing. Refreshing the breath is a good way if all methods are unsuccessful [6].

Besides chewing gum mint, you can also suck in peppermint oil to sneeze, or you can use strong toothpaste which can stimulate sneezing.

Also, some people can easily sneeze when eating sweet foods like chocolate beside chewing gum mint.

You should choose the dark chocolate as possible to beat sneezing sensation but unable to sneeze.

4. Making yourself sneeze by plucking eyebrows

Many people have to sneeze when they pluck their eyebrows. It determines that the nerves on the face are associated with the nerves in the nose.

So when you stimulate the facial nerve by small eyebrows, then you can quickly sneeze more.

5. How to get yourself to sneeze with carbonated drinks

Drink fizzy drinks like lemonade, cola, ginger juice when you are trying to sneeze, or you just put the cup of water bubbling into the nose and smell.

This method is not useful with effervescent drinking water because it has long been in the air. The taste and aroma of the drink will make the nose spit and sometimes sneeze.

6. How to make myself sneeze by stimulating the muscle to cause sneezing

Defeat the nose defense mechanism by deliberately sending the wrong signal to the brain.

Stimulate the sneeze by acting on the nasal muscles used to sneeze. It sounds impossible, but it works.

To do this method, you need to stimulate the nasal cavity gently. Inside the nostrils are very sensitive when stimulated, you can use a tissue to stimulate the nose, which causes sneezing.

7. How to sneeze on command with leaning back

If you feel the sneeze is coming but it is too slow, try tucking your head back. This simple gesture also causes sneezing.

If you still cannot sneeze, take a slow breath and slowly exhale through your nostrils while holding your head back.

The flow of air can stimulate the nasal cavity to cause sneezing, especially when the head is receding.

8. How to sneeze by shaking your nose

Squeeze the nose and gently shake your nose. This can make you feel sad in the nose and make you want to sneeze. You can even work your nose by turning your nose in circles with your face muscles.

Your goal is to shake the nasal membranes to cause sneezing so you can try to sing a song while your mouth is closed while trying to shake a part of the nose.

You might also try rubbing your lips and pushing the air through the oral cavity into the lips.

Allow the air to escape slowly to vibrate the lips. Breathe hard to shake your lips, and you will not be able to stop the sneeze.

9. Take a deep breath of cold air if you can’t sneeze

Another effective way to stimulate sneeze reflexes is to breathe deeply cold air. Try to breathe a cold air as much as possible, and you may sneeze.

For example, if the outdoors is quite cold, try walking out and suddenly inhale cold air. If the outdoors is not cold enough, try putting your head in the cold area like a fridge or the air- condition.

You can see more methods detailly in the following video:

If we sneeze too much, it is the signs of some diseases. This occasional sneeze also depends on the sensitivity of the nerve cell in each person’s nose.

When you sneeze, it carries some diseases or germs that cause illness. So, sneezing transmits the diseases to the others.

However, when sneezing constantly cause discomfort, then sneeze is no longer a normal physiological phenomenon but a sign of a disease related to ear nose and throat.

A person with continuous sneezing should immediately come to the clinic for prompt diagnosis and treatment by a specialist.

If the sneeze is constantly abnormal, it can be a sign of allergic rhinitis – a chronic nasal disease.

Allergic rhinitis can be directly related to the environment where you work, you live or which diet do you have, etc. All allergens are present in the living environment and food.

Seasonal weather is also responsible for the irritation of the nasal itch, requiring sneezing several times.

The respiratory tract is the first place of environmental influences such as dust, cold, vapor, bacteria, fungus, etc., which can easily lead to infection.

Therefore, you have to pay attention to keep warm, to wear warm clothes, high collar when it is cold. You should have shawls, especially with children.

If in the room with air condition, do not let the temperature exceed 28 degree Celsius. You should use foods that are high in vitamin C to provide resistance to the body and not to abuse antibiotics.

To cure sneeze occurs frequently, you can use the following ways to cure sneeze:

• Drink citrus fruit juice, tangerine, grapefruit. Vitamin C in these kinds of fruit helps prevent natural sneezing.
• Add honey and lemon to the tea. Honey with antibacterial substances will help reduce sneezing.
• Added quercetin in tomatoes, red onion, apple… Quercetin will help the body prevent sneeze.

Sneezing affects the quality of life, especially those who regularly communicate directly.

Sneeze occurs in the morning when you wake up or are outside the room. Based on the expression of the sneezing, your doctors can fairly categorize the causes of sneezing as a result of vesiculitis or allergic rhinitis.

A sneeze often accompanies by signs of a runny nose and nasal congestion, headache.

When it comes to overcrowding, dust, wear a mask, both to protect your body and to help avoid flying objects.

Is it bad to sneeze?

Sneezing is a mechanism that protects the respiratory tract from foreign particles that enter the nose. When stimulated, the central nervous system controls all contraction muscles, from the esophagus to the sphincter, which naturally includes the eyelid [4].

Sneezing is a way of body defenses, pushing out the toxins, as well as a warning signal of a foreign army of bacteria attacking the doctor to diagnose and prescribe medication for them.

Sneezing is not safe, even dangerous. Many people often sneeze, perhaps because of habits, may also due to affect the surrounding.

By holding their breath, using their nose or nose in any way, they try to stop their sneezing.

Sneezing will cause a lot of harm [8]:

• The nasal cavity does not clean, and the harmful agents will be able to penetrate deeper, causing a disease to the body.
• When trying to sneeze, increased intracranial pressure. The blood flow to our brains is broken, and the blood vessels and nerve tissue are compressed. It can lead to headaches, even affect hearing.
• Sneeze pressure can also cause severe eye damage.
• The diaphragm (muscles under the ribs, responsible for controlling the breathing) is also at risk of injury due to a sudden increase in pressure.

As mentioned above, sneezing is a common symptom in people suffering from allergic rhinitis, vesiculitis, and also family illness.

When the mucosal lining of these people is often swollen, pale or light purple, there may be blocks called polyps due to degeneration of the nasal mucosa in the state of prolonged inflammation.

You need to find the right cause to cut the sign of sneezing. In some people, sneezing occurs in certain seasons of the year.

What to do when sneezing when sneezing too much?

Sneezers (a person who sneezes) must protect themselves by keeping them warm when the weather changes, wearing masks in the infected area, avoiding staying in the air-conditioned room for a long time.

Deep out then exhale when stepping into the chamber to warm air right after the second inhalation and then get used to the air.

If sneeze increases and accompanies with some signs such as the nasal discharge, or prolong a runny nose, you should see your doctors to get the treatment.

When lasting for a long time, the disease can transfer to the stage of sinusitis.

The inadequate treatment causes complications such as pharyngitis, bronchitis, which makes long-term medication and patient recovering for a long time.

Necessary indications for laparoscopic surgery are also laid out to address nasal polyps.

How to overcome sneeze?

Some of the following solutions will help you to overcome persistent sneeze forcefully:

• Stay away from stimulating agents. It is important to identify allergens to eliminate accurately.
• Clean your living environment, clean house, and workplace.
• Clean nose and throat daily. You should have nasal cleaner regularly with physiological saline.
• You can use a nasal spray to treat allergic rhinitis and quickly resolve this symptom. However, you should consult your doctor before using any medication to avoid side effects as well as the dangers that may occur if used over the long term.
• You should have an appropriate diet. It is advisable to increase foods rich in vitamin C to increase the body’s immune system and avoid alcohol, stimulants and allergenic foods. Also, you should do regular physical exercise to improve your immunity.

Questions and answers

1. What can make you sneeze?

There are several factors that can make you sneeze. Weather seems like the most effective factor that causes sneezing. When the outside environment changes, it stimulates your respiratory system so that you can sneeze.

Besides, you can try some methods in how to make yourself sneeze such as looking at the light source, using stimulated or spicy flavor, shaking your nose or stimulating the muscle around your nose. Eating dark chocolate or chewing gum can also make you sneeze.

2. How many times a day do you sneeze?

Normal a person can sneeze once, twice or several times in a row. A day, they can have one, two, three rows depending on the environment they expose.

However, if they sneeze too much, continuously in a row, sneeze many rows a day, it may indicate some diseases like allergic rhinitis. When it gets colder, or sneezing accompanies with a runny nose, it also illustrates various problems for you.

3. Is it bad to close your mouth when you sneeze?

As we know that, sneeze helps us pushing the foreigners in the respiratory tract (bacteria, fungi, etc.). These foreigners irritate and make you sneeze to remove them out.

So, when you sneeze, it is bad to close your mouth because it keeps the foreigners still stay inside your respiratory system.

4. Why do you sneeze a lot when you have a cold?

When you have a cold, it means your upper respiratory tract is invasive by bacteria. It always has some uncomfortable symptoms such as a cough, runny nose particularly sneezing a lot.

Your upper respiratory tract is obstructed by the accumulation of the mucus which considered as a foreigner. Therefore, as an unconditional reflex, your body starts to sneeze to remove this mucus. That why you sneeze a lot when you have a cold.

5. Why does pepper make you sneeze?

It is true that pepper is a heavy taste of cooking as well as a stimulating factor that makes you sneeze. Peppers contain alkaloids of the pyridine group called piperine. Piperine will act as a stimulant when it flew into the nose – irritating nerve endings inside the mucosa. And finally, this stimulation will make you sneeze.

In fact, this is a mechanism to protect yourself from any stimulant you breathe, and the nose will try to push them out by sneezing.

6. Can you keep your eyes open when you sneeze?

Sneezing is a respiratory reflex. So that it does not influence to the other organs in the body out of the respiratory system. It does not matter your eyes open or closed when you sneeze. However, to keep concentration on sneezing, generally, your central nervous system controls the eyes to close when you sneeze.

7. Why does dark chocolate make us sneeze?

Dark chocolate tastes incredible; it also contains Tryptophan, an amino acid that helps to release more Serotonin in the brain, enhancing the feeling of excitement and happiness.

When your brain is stimulated, sneezing is one of the physical ways to express. That explains why do you sneeze after eating dark chocolate.

Conclusion

Sneezing is a physiological issue. There are several causes of sneezing. Sneezing can bring the comfortable feeling for you.

Some people may meet the troubles because they can not sneeze. You can try How to make yourself sneeze: top 9 incredible ways to deal with this problem.

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