If you are familiar with a tickling sensation in your nose with the inability to sneeze when you want to, it can make you feel frustrated. Sneezing is one of your body’s ways of getting rid of pollutants, bacteria, and irritants out of your nasal passages. Since it is an involuntary reaction, it will only happen when it has to. What if we told you there are several ways to make yourself sneeze on command? In this article, we explore natural ways to get yourself to sneeze easily.
Did You Know? A single sneeze can spread 100,000 germs into the air and travel approximately 100 mph.
10 Easy Ways To Make Yourself Sneeze
- Exposure To Sunlight
- Sniff Some Pepper
- Use A Tissue
- Rub The Roof Of Your Mouth
- Eat Chocolate
- Chew Gums
- Pull Out A Nose Hair
- Sniff A Strong Perfume
- Inhale Cold Air
- Drink Carbonated Soft Drinks
Home Remedies To Help You Sneeze
1. Exposure To Sunlight
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Yes, sunlight is known to induce sneezing in about 18-35% of the population in the U.S. This phenomenon is more commonly termed as photic sneeze reflex. And if you are already on the verge of sneezing, exposure to sunlight can solve your problem in a jiffy – as about 1 in 3 people who were about to sneeze already were found sneezing soon after being exposed to sunlight.
Why This Works
Although the exact reason sunlight exposure causes sneezing is unclear, the number of induced sneezes is observed to be mediated genetically and can be easily predicted within a family (1).
Related: 15 Proven Benefits Of Sunlight For Skin, Hair, And Health
2. Sniff Some Pepper
Ground pepper, be it black or white, can stimulate sneezing. When you inhale a small amount of this spice, it can irritate the lining of your nose, causing you to sneeze.
Why This Works
Pepper contains a compound called piperine, which can irritate your nose by triggering the nerve endings inside the mucous membrane within. This, in turn, can cause you to sneeze as your nose tries to get rid of the foreign substance that has entered it (2),(3).
3. Use A Tissue
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Wiggling anything inside your nose is another sure shot way to stimulate a sneeze. Just take a tissue and roll it into a point before inserting it into your nose and wiggling it a bit. You will sense a ticklish feeling inside your nose and start sneezing almost immediately.
Why This Works
When you wiggle a tissue in your nose, it triggers the trigeminal nerve within. This trigger is sent to the brain, and as a result, your brain prompts you to sneeze (4).
4. Rub The Roof Of Your Mouth
You can also trigger a sneeze by rubbing the roof your mouth with the tip of your tongue. All you have to do is press the tip of your tongue to the top of your mouth and slide it as far as possible until you find the exact spot that triggers a sneeze.
Why This Works
The trigeminal nerve also runs along the roof of your mouth (5). And rubbing the roof of your mouth with your tongue can stimulate this nerve and induce sneezing.
5. Eat Chocolate
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This is one of the best ways to induce sneezing while enjoying it. Eat a piece of dark chocolate (or any other chocolate with extra cocoa) and watch yourself sneeze. Those who do not eat much chocolate might have more success through this method than those who eat more of it.
Why This Works
Although the exact cause of why chocolate with extra cocoa induces sneezing is unknown, it could be a natural reaction of your body to the extra foreign particles (cocoa) entering your body.
Related: Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate And Its Nutritional Value
6. Chew Gums
Chewing on one or two gumsticks, which are mint-flavored, can also stimulate sneezing. Inhalation of the strong mint flavor from a gum is what induces the sneeze.
Why This Works
Sneezing induced by inhalation of a strong mint flavor is a result of the overstimulation of any of the nerves close to the trigeminal nerve. And as already discussed before, triggering the trigeminal nerve can prompt one to sneeze.
7. Pull Out A Nose Hair
The mere thought of pulling out a hair from your nose can make your nose feel itchy. So, the next time you are unable to get yourself to sneeze, just go ahead and pull a hair out of your nose.
Why This Works
Plucking a hair out of your nose stimulates the trigeminal nerve, and this is what makes you sneeze almost instantly. You can also stimulate a sneeze by plucking your eyebrows (due to the same reason) (6).
8. Sniff A Strong Perfume
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Most of you might have experienced sudden waves of sneezing by being exposed to any strong perfumes or sprays. Simply spraying a strong perfume or spray around you can irritate the lining of your nose and cause you to sneeze.
Why This Works
When the droplets of a strong perfume come close to your nostrils, it can irritate the lining of your nose and trigger the trigeminal nerve, hence prompting you to sneeze.
Caution
Do not spray the perfume directly on your nostrils.
9. Inhale Cold Air
One tends to sneeze more when it is cold. Hence, if you want to induce a sneeze, just turn on your air conditioner and inhale some cold air.
Why This Works
Inhaling cold air, yet again, stimulates the trigeminal nerve and also irritates the lining of your nose. As a result of these, you may begin to sneeze almost instantly (7).
10. Drink Carbonated Soft Drinks
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That itchy feeling inside the nose soon after opening a soft drink is something many of us can relate to. Inhaling the carbon dioxide from carbonated drinks or even drinking them can stimulate sneezing. All you have to do is get hold of your favorite carbonated soft drink and drink it as soon as you open it.
Why This Works
When you open a can of carbonated drink, the carbon dioxide in it enters your nostrils and causes you to sneeze.
Stylecraze Trivia
Exercise can make you sneeze. As you overexert yourself, your nose and mouth dry out. Consequently, your nose drips to deal with the dryness, making you sneeze.
There are ways to make yourself sneeze when you want to get rid of the tingling sensation in your nose. For example, exposure to sunlight, sniffing pepper, using a tissue, and rubbing the roof of your mouth can trigger sneezing. Chewing gums, eating chocolate, pulling out a nose hair, drinking carbonated drinks, inhaling cold air, and sniffing a strong perfume can also help in inducing sneezing. However, you must practice caution as some may act as irritants. Visit your doctor if you experience any severe side effects.
