Sometimes, a good sneeze is exactly what you need. But allergy-induced sneezing that seems to never end? It’s snot cool.

But as frustrating as sneezing can be, there are a good amount of ways to stop them just as quickly as they all came on. Let’s take a look at some of the easiest ways to stop sneezing fast.

1. Avoid Triggers

This might seem like an obvious answer, but truly one of the easiest ways to stop sneezing is to prevent it from happening in the first place. You can do this by learning what triggers allergic reactions.

Common allergy triggers include:

• Pollen, animal dander, dust mites, mold

If you’re not sure what’s causing your allergic reactions, you can take an allergy test to find out. With Cleared’s at-home test, you can find out if you’re allergic to over 40 common environmental triggers from the comfort of your living room.

2. Turn the Lights Out

We know this sounds strange, but the reason you may be sneezing so much might have to do with the amount of light exposure you’re experiencing. Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helioopthalmic Outburst (ACHOO syndrome) is a condition in where light triggers sneezing.

About one in four people who already have the “prickling” sensation of an incoming sneeze will blow their horns when they look at a bright light. No one really knows why, but you may need to darken your environment to keep those sneezes from inundating you.

3. Use a Relief Medication

Things like pollen or pet dander make your nose run and sinuses clog because your body releases a chemical called histamines that tries to attack the foreign substance. Histamines make you cough and sneeze as a way of expelling the nasty stuff out of your nostrils.

But pollen and dander aren’t actually harmless, so if you can stop the production of those histamines, you’ll be all set. This is where allergy medications known as antihistamines come into play. They inhibit the production of histamines to help bring you relief fast.

If you’re an allergy sufferer, you already know how expensive those types of medications can be. But Cleared has generic versions of your favorite brands for just a fraction of the cost. It’s all a part of our mission to bring everyone relief from one of nature’s most diabolical byproducts.

4. Blow Your Nose

Sneezing is caused by irritation%2C%20mold%2C%20dander%2C%20dust) in the mucus membranes of your nose or throat. That means that if you can get the irritant out of your nostril in the first place, you might be able to stop the sneezing.

All you may need to do is blow your nose to get all of the gunk out of there. You may start feeling better right away.

5. Say “Watermelon”

There’s an old wives tale that suggests that saying a word right as you’re about to sneeze can stop the expulsion in its tracks. So next time you’re about to sneeze, try saying “watermelon” or another fun fruit.

With that said, we don’t always recommend preventing sneezes from happening. In our minds, you should try to let them out whenever they arise. But if an allergy sneeze attack is getting overly inundating, this may be a good trick to stop things quickly.

6. Don’t Eat Too Much

Have you ever gorged on a giant Thanksgiving meal, plopped down on the couch, and then sneezed uncontrollably? You just experienced something called gustatory rhinitis -- and it’s more common than you think.

While it’s not really understood what causes this, it may have something to do with spicy or pungent foods that irritate the mucous membranes in your nose and throat. Temperature can play a role, too, with hot foods acting as a sneeze trigger.

So if you’re prone to frequent sneezing, try to avoid some of these types of foods, or just bring some extra tissues to your next potluck.

7. Nasal Spray

Typical oral antihistamines can take some time to kick in. If you need to stop sneezing fast, there’s really no better way than by confronting the source with a nasal spray.

An antihistamine nasal spray might work quickly by blocking histamine, the chemical that causes allergies and sneezing. Just a quick spray in each nostril can help bring you relief and stop the sneezing in its tracks.

Clearing the Air

While there’s no foolproof way to stop sneeze attack “sneezures” when they arise, there are a few ways you can try. Traditional methods include confronting the allergies directly with antihistamines, nasal sprays, and avoiding your triggers.

But if those don’t work, you can try less traditional methods such as avoiding exposure to light, saying a funny word before the sneeze gets to you, or consuming less spicy foods. You can also just do something as simple as blow your nose to help rid of mucous membrane irritants and stop achooing.

If you need some help preventing sneeze attacks in the first place, Cleared can match you with a licensed allergist to help put you on the right track towards relief. Click here to get started with your free consultation.

Sources:

ACHOO Syndrome - Medical Genetics Summaries | NCBI Bookshelf

Sneezing | MedlinePlus%2C%20mold%2C%20dander%2C%20dust)

Sneezing after eating is a common occurrence | UCLA Health