6 Reasons You're Sneezing All The Damn Time
If you’re not much of a sneezer, it can be annoying (and confusing) if you suddenly start having sneezing fits. But sneezing doesn’t happen just because—there’s often a reason behind it.
“People sneeze because we all have little hairs in our nose that act as our defenders against outside invaders that may harm us,” says Purvi Parikh, M.D., an allergist/immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network. These little hairs, known as cilia, sense if there is something your nose or body wants to get rid of, and triggers a sneeze to get it out. “It is a self-cleansing mechanism, in a sense,” Parikh says.
Of course, if you suddenly start sneezing a lot you’re going to want to know why so you can make it stop. Here are a few things to consider.
You can live your whole life without having any issues with allergies and suddenly develop wheezing, coughing, red eyes, and yup, sneezing thanks to adult-onset seasonal allergies. One sign your sneezing might be due to seasonal allergies: Many people with seasonal allergies have “machine gun”-style sneezing that can last for a long time, says Clifford Bassett, M.D., founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York and author of The New Allergy Solution: Supercharge Resistance, Slash Medication, Stop Suffering. See an allergist to find a solution.
People usually associate colds with wintertime, but they can happen any time of year. And sneezing might be one of the early symptoms. Your basic cold is one of the most common reasons why people have sneezing, Bassett says.
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While many people who are allergic to pets have symptoms when they’re children, it’s possible to develop an allergy to pets as an adult or to have issues with a particular type of dog or cat that you just weren't exposed to in the past. And that pet dander can trigger sneezing fits, Bassett says. If you notice that you’re only having issues when you’re at your S.O.’s house, which just happens to include a dog or cat, it’s worth reaching out to an allergist to get tested.
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It’s weird but true: Extreme changes in temperature can trigger sneezing, Parikh says. It’s easy to suspect that you might have allergies if you start sneezing the second you step out, but if it stops after a minute or two, it may simply be because of the temperature change.
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Smoking doesn’t smell gross—it can actually irritate your nose, prompting you to have a sneezing fit, Parikh says. And, if you’re regularly around someone who smokes or always find yourself stuck behind smokers on the sidewalk, it could cause you to sneeze.
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This is something to consider if you keep sneezing whenever you’re in your kitchen or when you eat: Your nose can be irritated from inhaling a spice, like pepper, Parikh says. “There are some who begin to sneeze with or after a meal, in particular, after eating a very spicy food,” says Bassett.
If you’ve been sneezing a lot lately, it’s a good idea to see an allergist to figure out what, exactly is triggering your attacks. While you can guess, they can actually test you to find out what’s going on. And the sooner you know what’s causing your sneezing, the sooner you can get it to stop.
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