The easiest way to make yourself sneeze is to gently tickle the inside of your nose with a tissue, but there are several other reliable tricks that work by triggering the same nasal nerve response. Whether you’re trying to relieve that frustrating “stuck sneeze” feeling or need to clear your nasal passages, these methods stimulate the sensory nerves lining your nose and activate the sneeze reflex.
Tickle the Inside of Your Nose
The most direct method is to roll the corner of a tissue into a thin point and gently twist it just inside one nostril. The tissue fibers irritate the nerve endings in your nasal lining, which sends a signal to your brain’s sneeze center. Within a few seconds, your body responds with a full sneeze. You can also try wiggling the tissue gently back and forth rather than just holding it still.
Stick with a soft tissue or the very tip of a cotton swab. Never use anything sharp, rigid, or thin enough to go deep into your nasal passage. The tissue lining your nose is delicate, and even minor scratches can cause bleeding or introduce bacteria.
Look at a Bright Light
About one in four people will sneeze when suddenly exposed to bright light, especially sunlight. This is called the photic sneeze reflex, and it’s genetic. If it works for you, step from a dim room into bright sunlight or glance toward (not directly at) a strong light source. The reflex typically fires within a second or two of the light change.
If you’ve never noticed yourself sneezing in sunlight, this method probably won’t work for you. The trait runs in families, and you either have it or you don’t. But if you do, it’s one of the fastest and easiest ways to trigger a sneeze on demand.
Sniff a Strong Spice or Scent
Ground black pepper, cumin, coriander, and crushed red pepper flakes can all trigger a sneeze when their fine particles reach the nasal lining. Sprinkle a small amount onto a plate and take a light sniff from a safe distance. You want just enough airborne particles to tickle your nose, not a deep inhale that sends powder into your throat or lungs.
Capsaicin, the compound that makes hot peppers burn, is sometimes suggested as a sneeze trigger, but research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that capsaicin only occasionally and variably causes sneezing. It’s much more consistent at producing a burning pain sensation. So while spicy peppers might work, plain ground black pepper is generally a better bet because its fine particles physically irritate the nasal lining rather than relying on a chemical that mostly just burns.
Pluck a Nose Hair or Eyebrow Hair
Plucking a single nose hair is one of the most reliable sneeze triggers because you’re directly stimulating the trigeminal nerve, the same nerve responsible for the sneeze reflex. The sharp tug sends an immediate signal that often produces a sneeze within seconds.
Plucking an eyebrow hair works for some people through a similar mechanism. The trigeminal nerve branches across your entire face, and pulling on a hair near the brow can activate the sneeze pathway in certain individuals. Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center note that the science behind this cross-wiring is still not fully understood, but it’s a well-documented phenomenon.
Use a Saline Spray or Humming
A quick spritz of over-the-counter saline nasal spray can irritate the nasal lining just enough to provoke a sneeze. The fine mist stimulates the same nerve endings that respond to dust or allergens. If you don’t have saline spray, even a drop of plain water sniffed off a fingertip can sometimes do the trick.
Some people also find that humming while pinching the bridge of the nose creates enough vibration and pressure change inside the nasal cavity to coax out a stuck sneeze. This works best when you already feel a sneeze building but can’t quite get it to release.
Why You Shouldn’t Hold a Sneeze In
If you feel a sneeze coming, let it happen. A sneeze can generate air speeds over 100 miles per hour, and all that pressure has to go somewhere. When you clamp your nose shut or close your mouth to stifle it, the force redirects inward. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this trapped pressure can push air and mucus into the eustachian tubes connecting your nose to your middle ear, potentially causing ear infections. Infected mucus forced into these tubes can even lead to eardrum holes that require surgical repair.
The risks go beyond your ears. Suppressing a sneeze can push irritants and mucus back into your sinuses, leading to congestion, sinus pain, and sinus infections. It can also temporarily spike the pressure inside your eyes, which is particularly concerning for anyone with glaucoma. In rare but documented cases, the trapped pressure has ruptured blood vessels in the head or neck.
The bottom line: sneezes exist to expel irritants from your nasal passages. If you’re trying to trigger one, your body probably needs it. And once it starts, let it fly.