Excessive sneezing

The scene

He has an interesting alias ‘’Mr Sneeze’’; real name is ‘’LKR’’ but over the years the nickname had stuck like a leech. He sneezes at least once in about 10 minutes, this becomes more disturbing when he gets exposed to some particular triggers. According to him, he once lost a promising job because of this condition; the interview process was seamless in the airconditioned room until there was power outage, with the generator being dysfunctional, the stage was set for the conspiracy of factors. One of his identified triggers is ‘’stuffiness’’ which engulfed the room at that point. He could not even utter a word after the tsunami of sneezing ensued, with red eyes emitting tears…………………. Not every sneeze is due to Covid 19 infection! As a matter of fact, most are not!!

Myths 1.

The heart stops beating when you sneeze. NOT TRUE!! 2. Eyes pop out of your head when you sneeze. Most people naturally close their eyes when they sneeze, but if they are able to keep them open, their eyes stay firmly planted in their heads where they belong!! 3. The soul departs your body when you sneeze if you aren’t promptly blessed afterward. NOT TRUE!!

What it is

A sneeze is the powerful, involuntary (uncontrollable), expulsion of air through the nose due to irritation in the nasal passages. It is not always bad; in fact, your body uses this to eliminate irritants from your throat or nose. It becomes quite disturbing when you have to deal with sneezing persistently. Even though it’s not the result of a serious health issue, excessive sneezing can still be quite irritating. The less-than-desirable part of sneezing involves the spitting out of phlegm, saliva, bacteria and microbes from the nose and/ or mouth. Sneezing as a ‘’rebooting’’ mechanism This is because sneezing expels things that are irritating the passageway with such force that little gets left behind. This means your nose is back to normal and able to perform its intended function of keeping certain things from moving past the nasal passages to cause problems with your health. Some people sneeze in twos or threes. That’s because the particles the sneeze is working to expel didn’t all make it out with the first sneeze. When this happens, two or even three sneezes in a row may occur. Sometimes even more. Ultimately, sneezing is a response from the body to irritation in the lining of the nose. It’s something that you can’t control, and probably shouldn’t. Holding back a sneeze? One man damaged his pharynx (throat) by trying to prevent a sneeze by pinching his nose and holding his mouth shut, leading to a one week stay in the hospital while the tear to his pharynx healed enough so that he could eat and drink without the food or liquid leaking out of his pharynx. What advice did the doctors give upon leaving the hospital? Don’t pinch your nose when sneezing. HENCE, TRYING TO HOLD A SNEEZE CAN HAVE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES!

Causes

1. Allergies

Most of the time, the reason behind continuous sneezing is some type of allergy. This usually happens when one suffers from allergic rhinitis, which may affect you in specific seasons or hurt all year round. Sometimes, one may also be allergic to specific foods, such as dairy. Sneezing fits are the most common symptom that you have allergic rhinitis. You may experience bouts of sneezing after you wake up in the morning. Other common symptoms include runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy or watery eyes. This could also be due to seasonal rhinitis, which is characterized by frequent attacks of sneezing. If you’re a victim of perennial rhinitis, you’re more likely to experience symptoms when you inhale specific antigens, such as house dust mite, pet hair, and fungal spores.

1. Infections

Sneezing may well be a symptom of an upper respiratory tract infection due to viruses, bacteria and even fungi (in people with weakened immune system 3. Irritants Airborne, systemic and ingested irritants may cause persistent sneezing if there is constant exposure to it. Some of the triggers include : • Environmental pollution (like smog)

• Organic and inorganic dusts

• Cigarette smoking (secondary smoke inhalation)

• Strong odors from perfumes and spices

• Spicy foods

• Dry weather

• Hormonal changes – pregnancy or contraceptives

• Physical irritants such as bright sunlight can also cause sneezing, which is called the ‘’nasoocular reflex’’.

This involves a reflex connection between the eyes and nose, which causes stimulation of nerves within the nasal mucous membranes, resulting in sneezing.

1. Medication

   Using certain medications may also lead to drug-induced rhinitis and cause continuous sneezing. Some of the culprits are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nasal decongestants, hypertension drugs like beta-blockers and diuretics, antidepressants, sedatives, drugs for erectile dysfunction, and oral contraceptives.

2. Other Causes

• Nasal polyps

• Neurological conditions

• Exposure to chlorinated pool water

• Cocaine sniffing

• Tobacco sniffing (snuff)

• Professional swimmers (chlorinated pool water) What to do Best treatment would be to find allergens causing symptoms and to avoid it, a hospital visit to the general practitioner and/or the ENT expert would surely be beneficial.
Prevention One needs to understand that it is going to take a few days to clear symptoms if they are caused by the flu or another infection.

When you’re indoor, do the following:

• Be sure to keep your home dry by allowing fresh dry air regularly or use a dehumidifier where available

• Keep your pets clean by washing them regularly

• Take steps to reduce mold and dust in your home When outdoor, do the following:

• Don’t go out in extreme dry weather

• Avoid cutting the grass in allergy season

• Be sure to buy yourself a face mask and wear it when going outside

• Take a shower every time you return home after spending time outdoors.