Sometimes sneezing can hurt quite a bit, especially if you sneeze several times in a row. So why would you need to sneeze on purpose? There are actually some times when sneezing is good for you. The feeling that you need to sneeze is often very uncomfortable, and if you don’t sneeze, that feeling gets even worse. Fortunately, there are parts of the brain that can trigger the action of sneezing.

12 Tricks to Make Yourself Sneeze

Here are some self-help tips to make yourself sneeze when you really feel like you must clear out your sinuses. You could pick up anything around you convenient to start the journey.

1. Use a Tissue

A tickling sensation is usually enough to make you want to sneeze. Try wadding up a tissue into a long point, then inserting that into your nose. Wiggle it around at the back of your nose to produce that tickle. If you hum at the same time, you just might be able to sneeze repeatedly.

2. Tweeze Eyebrows

Did you know that there is a nerve that runs underneath your eyebrows that also runs through your nose? When you pluck your eyebrows, you disturb that nerve, and you might sneeze immediately. So take a look in the mirror and see which errant hairs need plucking.

3. Pluck Nose Hair

This will definitely stimulate the lining of the nose and make you feel that tickle that leads to a sneeze. Pull one hair at a time with a forceful jerk. Use a good pair of tweezers to make sure you have a firm grip.

4. Stimulate the Mouth Roof

The roof of your mouth is a gateway to the same nerve that runs through your eyebrows and your nose, so stimulating it can lead to a sneeze for some people. When learning how to make yourself sneeze, touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, going as far back as you can reach.

5. Massage the Nose

Again, that nerve can be stimulated by massaging the bridge of the nose with your index finger and thumb. Pinch the nose and move your fingers around. You might soon start to feel that tickle in the back of your nose that says a sneeze is imminent.

6. Eat Chocolate

The higher the cocoa content in a chocolate bar, the more likely it will be to make you sneeze. This is especially true if you are not accustomed to eating chocolate. Some suggest that it is actually the cocoa particles that get into the nose when you inhale and trigger the sneeze.

7. Chew Gum

Some people react very strongly to a whiff of peppermint oil. If that’s the case with you, chewing peppermint or spearmint gum might trigger a sneeze within minutes. You can also try taking a big whiff of peppermint essential oil if you need to stimulate a sneeze.

8. Drink Carbonated Water

How to make yourself sneeze? Sodas might tickle your nose enough that they send you into a sneezing fit. This is especially true if you drink the fizzy stuff right after opening up the bottle or can. The bubbles can tickle the back of your throat and your nose.

9. Breathe Cold Air

Some people find that the sudden assault of cold air on their sinuses can trigger a sneeze. If it is hot outside, go to your freezer, open the door, lean in and breathe deep. If it is during the dead of winter, walk out of your warm house into the cold air outside and breathe it in as hard as you can.

10. Look at the Light

Some people will begin to sneeze when they are suddenly hit with a bright light. That’s why you might sneeze the moment you walk from a dark place into the sunlight. Look directly at a bright bulb, or blink up at the sun, especially after you have been in a dark, subdued room. You will almost instantly feel that tickle if you are one of those up to 35% who is sensitive to it.

11. Tilt Back Your Head

For some reason, those who are learning how to make yourself sneeze might have great success with simply putting your head back. This works especially well if you feel the urge to sneeze but you can’t quite get there. Leaning your head back works, but no one really knows why or how.

12. Use Hard Objects

You can do the same thing with something that is hard, such as a q-tip, a pencil, or even a toothpick. Just be careful not to let go of whatever object you use, and never push it in too far. That can lead to much more serious problems than needing to sneeze!