There is still plethora of things about the human’s defensive mechanism to ward off varieties of sicknesses that most of us are still unaware of. Most of the times, people are quite inquisitive about such things. For instance questions like “why do we blink our eyes?” or even “why do we sneeze?” are often unanswered.
Today, let’s talk about sneezing and find out what causes you to sneeze. Moreover, you will also learn about couple of home remedies that can help you when you are sneezing intensely.
What Is Sneezing?
First of all, sneezing may be very irritating at times, but it is actually a protective mechanism that helps expel allergens and irritants out of your body.
Sneezes start in your nerves. Everyone’s nervous system is basically wired in the same way. However, signals traveling along these nerves can take slightly different paths to and from the brain, resulting in different sneeze scenarios from person to person.
Why Is Sneezing Good For Health?
Sneezes protect your body by clearing the nose of bacteria and viruses. Sneezing is most of the times accompanied by symptoms that include lack of concentration, fatigue, runny nose, nasal irritation, and red eyes. However, sneezing is not always a serious problem.
What Causes You To Sneeze?
Basically, the nose also functions to clean the air you breathe, making sure it is free of dirt and bacteria particles. However, sometimes dirt and bacteria or pollens, or dust particles can enter your nose and irritate the sensitive mucous membranes inside your nose and throat. When these membranes become irritated, it causes you to sneeze.
However, other more serious causes can also be allergies, mold, viruses like the common cold or flu, nasal irritants, inhalation of corticosteroids through a nasal spray, or drug withdrawal. Infections caused by viruses can also lead to sneezing.
Home Remedies For Sneezing
Peppermint Oil
If your sneezing is due to a stuffy nose, peppermint oil’s antibacterial properties can help. You can boil some water and add five drops of peppermint oil. Cover you head with a towel and breathe in the steam coming from the boiling pot. Inhaling the steam will clear your nasal passages. You can also inhale steam from boiling water mixed with a few drops of eucalyptus oil to get relief from sneezing induced by nasal irritation and colds.
Fennel Tea
Fennel has natural antibiotic and anti-viral properties that can fight off any upper respiratory infection, including sneezing. You can boil a cup of water, add two teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds and cover the pot. Soak the seeds for 10 to 15 minutes and then strain the liquid. Drink two cups of this tea daily to reduce the frequency of sneezing.
Black Pepper
Even black pepper can reduce the intensity of sneezing and a runny nose. You should mix one-half tablespoon of pepper powder with lukewarm water. Drink it two to three times each day.
Ginger
The most versatile herb — ginger is one of the oldest and effective home remedies for the treatment of different viral and nasal problems including sneezing. Consume 1 to 2 teaspoons of ginger extract twice a day until the sneezing stops.
Moreover, you can also cut a small piece of ginger root into thin slices, put them in a cup of water and boil it for some time. Add a little honey for taste and drink the tea before going to bed. This will prevent sneezing at night.
