Sneezing helps clear your nasal pathways and is a great way to reduce blocks, if any, in your nose. Do you know you can clear blocks by making yourself sneeze? Read on to know the ways by which you can do this.
The itchy feeling in your nose is a distinct sign of a sneeze. At times, your inability to make yourself sneeze can be an annoyance. But, with a few simple techniques you can make yourself sneeze. Seven (7) most effective techniques are listed here.
#1. Smell a spice that has a strong aroma
A few spices such as white or black pepper contain a substance called piperine. This substance can cause a mild irritation inside your nasal passage, and can bring about a sneeze. In essence, this substance activates the nerves in mucous lining inside your nose. Caveat: Never overexpose your nasal passage to such strong spices. Instead, you can try your tolerance levels with milder spices like coriander or cumin seeds. This precaution is essential as excessive sniffing of spices with a strong aroma can lead to burning the mucous tissues and also other sensitive areas inside your nose.
#2. Remove nasal hair by plucking it
You can make yourself sneeze by pulling off a hair in your nose. This action can trigger a nerve – known as trigeminal nerve, which can bring about a sneeze. You need to be careful not to pull more than one hair. This is a very sensitive area in your nose. Hence, needful care is required while doing this.
#3. Massage the nasal bridge
Nerves inside your nose (trigeminal ones, as mentioned earlier) can be activated by gently rubbing the nose’s bridge. This may also facilitate easy discharge of fluids from your nose. Only a mild level of pressure needs to be applied. Application of extra pressure is not recommended as it may harm the nasal areas.
#4. Go to a cooler place
A cold climate or surroundings can trigger the nerves in the nasal area. Mucous lining inside your nose also turns sensitive every time you inhale moist and cold air. You can easily make this to happen by switching on your AC. Stepping out in the open on a colder day can also make you to sneeze.
#5. Tweezing your brow
It has been found that pulling off hair from the eyebrows can make you sneeze. Endings of your nerves in this part of your body get triggered by tweezing the hair there. Clinical studies have seen this action to make you sneeze quickly or after a few attempts. This is found to make many people to sneeze because some sensitive nerves – on their way to reach the nasal region – are found to pass through areas where eyebrows grow.
#6. Use a tissue’s pointed end to reach the inside of your nose
Make a pointed end by rolling up a piece of tissue. Wiggle it inside your nose, and you will immediately catch yourself sneezing. The pointed end of the tissue tickles and teases you. Thus, the nerve endings are triggered and you will let a sneeze come out as an outcome.
Caveat: While doing this technique, never let the tissue’s pointed end to reach very deep areas inside your nose.
#7. Lick the top surface (roof portion) of your mouth
The roof of your mouth has a few trigeminal nerve endings. These can be activated by gently massaging or licking it with your tongue. This may take a few attempts as you may need to spot – by trial and error – the most sensitive part in your mouth’s roof. Your tongue needs to be bent back and you may have to start rubbing from rear side of the mouth’s top surface. The point where you get an itchy feeling in your nose is the place where the nerve endings are more sensitive.
These techniques apart, there are a few other effective methods by which you can make yourself sneeze. These include eating chocolate (this works best among people who are not habitual chocolate eaters), consuming carbonated drinks (bubbles present in such fluids can induce an itchiness to make you sneeze), etc. Other unconventional techniques include looking up to the sun’s light. The stronger the sunlight, the odds of making you to sneeze is high. But, you are advised not to see bright sunlight directly. This method may bring about a prickly sensation inside your nostrils; this has been found to be effective with nearly 30% of people who try this method.
These techniques listed above are different from methods people use to stop a sneeze. Such methods include pinching your nose or saying “pickles”, etc. But, making yourself sneeze is an effective way to remove obstacles or blocks from your nasal passages. It is also a proven way to remove a foreign body from your nasal areas.
You also need to be aware the role of genetics in the success of the techniques provided here. The above techniques may not bring about a sneeze to all people alike. The genetic makeup of each individual is different, and hence what triggers a sneeze for you is also highly dependent on your genetics.
The methods listed here – to make you sneeze – are safe when used within a limited extent and with needful moderation. However, excessive deployment of these measures or forcibly using these techniques can cause serious damages to your nasal linings. Always remember that the tissues found inside your nose are very sensitive. Hence, you are advised to exercise needful caution while using any of the above methods to make yourself sneeze. Children need to use these techniques strictly under the supervision of a parent or a caring adult.