Home Remedies for Sneezing

Sneezing is a reflex action of the body when it is trying to expel irritants from the nose. Some of the common causes of sneezing are common cold, upper respiratory infection, allergies due to dust, smoke, mold, pollen and many other such irritants. Occasional sneezing does not cause any problem to us.

However, when you are dealing with an infection or allergic reaction, then the sneezing refuses to stop. Continuous irritation due to a runny nose makes the nasal passage sore and sensitive. You feel fatigued all the time. In this condition, your life goes out of control. You cannot keep your focus on the work at hand.

Sneezing again and again drains out all your energy. The only thing you want at that point of time is relief from the problem. For this, the underlying cause needs to be controlled first. A few helpful suggestions in this regard are as follows:

You can use garlic both internally as well as externally to get relief from excessive sneezing caused by a common cold infection. It has natural antibiotic and anti-viral properties that can fight off any upper respiratory infection. Therefore, you must include plenty of garlic in soups and salads of your daily diet.

Crush 4-5 cloves of garlic to make a fine paste and then inhale its strong smell. This will clear up the nasal passage that triggers sneezing.

Many people consider it as one of the best home remedies for a sneezing allergy. This is because chamomile tea has excellent antihistamine properties for allergy relief. Boil a cup of water in a pan, add one teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers to it and boil the tea for one more minute.

Remove the pan from the heat, put some honey to improve its flavor and then drink the tea. It should be taken two times in a day to get rid of the sneezing completely.

When you are sneezing continuously due to a stuffy nose, you should try out this home remedy. Inhale vapors from hot, boiling water to which a few drops of peppermint oil has been added. It clears up the nasal passage and the irritation on the lining of the respiratory tract subsides. Thus you get relief from persistent sneezing.

Take an inch of ginger root and cut it into thin slices. Put sliced ginger in a cup of water and boil it for some time till it reduces to half its volume. Add a little honey for taste and drink this tea before going to bed. This will prevent sneezing at night.

Boil a cup of water, add two teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds into it and cover up the pot. Soak the seeds for 10-15 minutes and then strain out this liquid. Drink two cups of this tea daily to reduce frequency of sneezing. While preparing fennel tea, never boil the water after adding seeds to it as it can destroy the natural oils of fennel.

When you are sneezing continuously and none of the ingredients of home remedies are at your hand, then you can try one or more of the following methods to control the urge of sneezing temporarily:

Hold the bridge of the nose in between your forefinger and thumb, press it gently for a few seconds and stop breathing. When you release your fingers, you will find the urge to sneeze is gone.

To stop a sneeze midway from coming, you should touch the tip of tongue to the roof of the mouth. As you tickle the tongue over this area for few seconds, the sneeze is controlled.

You can get rid of a repeated bout of sneezing by distracting the mind. The more you focus your attention on the irritation inside the nose, the urge to sneeze becomes stronger. To avoid this, focus on any specific object lying around you so that your attention gets diverted to something else. Thus the sneezing can be stopped.

Another way to suppress a sneeze is to put the index finger and middle finger below the nostrils and apply firm pressure on the bow of the upper lip. Keep it for 10-15 seconds and then remove the finger and you will be pleased to discover that the twitchy feeling of the nose has disappeared.

Along with all these home remedies, you must take some measures to prevent exposure to any such environmental irritant that can aggravate your problem further. Keep your house free from dust and allergens. Vacuum clean the mattresses, carpets, rugs and bedding as frequently as possible.

Wash off the bed sheet, bed cover and stuffed animals thoroughly at least once in a week to get rid of allergens trapped in the fabrics. Check out the damp corners of the house for mold growth. If you find any, take suitable action for mold removal. It is advisable not to keep any furry pets at home if you are allergic to dander.