Sneezing
Sneezing is an involuntary burst of air forced from your lungs through your nose and mouth. It usually happens when things like dust, pollen or viruses irritate the mucus membranes that line your nose and throat. Sneezing can be alarming. But it usually doesn’t indicate a serious health condition.
What is sneezing?
Sneezing is a forceful burst of air that comes from your lungs and exits your body through your nose and mouth. It’s involuntary. You can’t control when a sneeze happens, and you should never try to hold one in.
When you sneeze, it removes irritants like dirt, dust and pollen from your nose or throat. It’s your body’s way of getting rid of things that can make you sick or cause inflammation.
While sneezing can be inconvenient, it’s rarely a sign of a serious health condition.
Why do I keep sneezing?
Many things can cause sneezing, including:
- Allergies (dust, mold, pet dander, hay fever).
- Viral infections (flu, common cold).
- Breathing in certain medications (like corticosteroids) in nasal sprays.
- Withdrawal from opioids or other drugs.
- Eating spicy foods.
Stress and other strong emotions can even trigger sneezing. When you experience stress, your body releases hormones and chemicals, including histamine. Elevated histamine levels can result in sneezing and other allergy symptoms like hives and itchy eyes.
Diseases spread by sneezing
Sneezing sends up to 40,000 tiny droplets from your mouth and nose into the air or on nearby surfaces. Viruses and bacteria can live in these droplets. If someone else breathes in these droplets or touches a surface where they land, they can get symptoms of infection.
Sneezing most commonly spreads infections like:
- Common cold.
- Flu (influenza).
- Strep throat.
- RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
- Pneumonia.
- Meningococcal disease (less common).
How do healthcare providers treat sneezing?
Sneezing is a symptom of many different conditions. To treat sneezing, healthcare providers will treat the underlying issue.
For example, if a bacterial infection causes sneezing, a provider may prescribe antibiotics. If they suspect that sneezing is a symptom of allergies, they may recommend allergy testing to confirm your diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment.
What can I do at home to stop sneezing?
If you think sneezing might be a result of allergies, there are things that may help ease your symptoms:
- Use air filters in your AC or furnace and change them often.
- Choose pets that don’t trigger your specific allergy symptoms.
- Consider getting an air purifier to reduce dust and allergens in the air.
How can I make myself sneeze?
You know the feeling. You need to sneeze, but no matter what you do, you just can’t. To make yourself sneeze, you can stimulate your trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve). It’s responsible for scalp and facial sensations and motor functions like chewing and swallowing.
There are a few things you can try to stimulate your trigeminal nerve:
- Wiggle a tissue or cotton swab around in your nostril.
- Sniff a jar of pepper.
- Rub the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
- Massage the bridge of your nose.
- Pluck an eyebrow or nose hair.
One in three people can make themselves sneeze by looking at a bright light. This is a hereditary trait called photic sneezing. Researchers aren’t exactly sure how photic sneezing occurs. Some think it happens when a light source stimulates a branch of your parasympathetic nervous system. Others think that the light source stimulates your optic nerve, which in turn stimulates your trigeminal nerve and causes you to sneeze. This reflex is why so many people sneeze when they look at the sun.
When should I call my healthcare provider?
If sneezing is your only symptom, you probably don’t need to call a healthcare provider. But you should schedule an appointment if you develop additional symptoms like:
- Fever.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
- Hives.
- Itchy or watery eyes.
- Diarrhea.
These symptoms could mean you have severe allergies or some type of infection.
FAQ
You can’t sneeze when you’re in deep REM sleep. This is because your associated muscles are temporarily inactive. But you can still sneeze if you’re in the early, light stage of your sleep cycle.
Closing your eyes when you sneeze is an automatic reflex reaction. It’s possible to sneeze with your eyes open. But it takes a lot of concentration to override your body’s natural response. Contrary to popular belief, your eyes won’t pop out if you manage to conquer this challenge.
Some people try to hold in their sneezes for the sake of politeness. But holding in a sneeze can actually be bad for your health. Possible complications include:
- Damaged blood vessels.
- Vertigo.
- Ruptured ear drums.
- Hearing loss.
Sneezing is completely normal and natural. When you feel the urge to sneeze, it’s best to let it out.
No, your heart doesn’t stop when you sneeze. But lots of factors — including sneezing — can speed up or slow down your heartbeat for a very short time. But this is normal, and it doesn’t affect your heart in any notable way.
If you’re sneezing a lot and you’re not sure why, you could have an allergy to something new in your environment. If your symptoms linger or get worse, let your healthcare provider know. They can run allergy tests to find the culprit.
It’s perfectly normal for newborns to sneeze a lot. There’s usually nothing to worry about unless they develop additional symptoms like:
- Fever.
- Coughing.
- Nasal congestion.
- Changes in sleep or feeding.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Coughing and Sneezing (https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/personal-hygiene/coughing-sneezing.html). Accessed 4/2/2024.
- National Library of Medicine (U.S). Sneezing (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003060.htm). Accessed 4/2/2024.
- Sasayama D, Asano S, Nogawa S, Takahashi S, Saito K, Kunugi H. Possible association between photic sneeze syndrome and migraine and psychological distress (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292289/). Neuropsychopharmacol Rep. 2019 Sep;39(3):217-222. Accessed 4/2/2024.
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