What to do when you can't stop sneezing

Sneezing is a reaction to irritants and a way for the nose to get rid of germs. Nearly any particle can irritate the nose and cause a sneeze.
Common irritants include:

viruses or bacteria
dust
pollen
dander
All of these particles may trigger a sneeze. Sneezing is a partially controllable reaction to irritants. Therefore, it is possible to delay or even stop a sneeze before it occurs.

12 ways to stop sneezing
It may be possible to delay or stop sneezing naturally by:

1. Treating allergies


Irritants, such as pollen and dust, aggravate the nose and cause sneezing.
Treating allergies is a good way to prevent sneezing. Allergy sneezes often occur in clusters of two to three.

However, to treat the allergy, a person must first identify what allergens trigger the reaction. Once identified, a person might be able to avoid the allergen and prevent sneezing as a result of exposure to the allergen.

There may be times when it is impossible to avoid the allergen, however.

In these situations, people can control their reaction to the allergen by using over-the-counter medications that can help allergic reactions.

Popular types include:

antihistamine tablets or pills
glucocorticosteroid nasal sprays
Some people who experience more severe reactions may require prescription drugs or allergy shots to prevent or reduce the effects

2. Learning triggers

Different things may cause someone to sneeze. Some of these triggers may be easy to spot and avoid. Learning what causes sneezing can help people avoid it.

Triggers include:

dander
dust
spices, such as pepper
bright lights
spicy food
mold
pollen
cold virus
perfume
baking flour
3. Treating photic sneezing

Sneezing when looking at a bright light is called photic sneezing. The condition affects about a third of people worldwide, who are triggered to start sneezing by going outside on a bright day.

People with photic sneezing normally have a family history of the condition. They can prevent sneezing by not looking directly at bright lights and wearing sunglasses on sunny days.

4. Avoiding large meals

Some people sneeze following a meal where they feel particularly full. This reaction can be prevented by eating smaller portions and taking smaller bites. This phenomenon is not well understood.

5. Saying something weird

People claim saying a funny or weird word out loud just before sneezing can stop the sneeze from occurring. It is purely anecdotal.

The thought is that the action of verbalizing something interesting or unusual distracts the brain to prevent the sneeze. There is no research to back these claims.

6. Tickling the roof of the mouth

A person may be able to stifle a sneeze by stimulating the roof of the mouth with the tongue. Doing this for several seconds before sneezing may help prevent it from occurring.

7. Avoiding environmental hazards

Some people are in situations where they constantly come into contact with irritants in the air.

This may be due to an occupation, but a person may have hobbies or live in an area where irritants are regularly in the air.