Have you ever wondered why you sneeze? It’s actually a defense mechanism our bodies use to protect us from harmful substances. If your nose senses a foreign object like an allergen, irritant or bacteria, your body sneezes as a way to expel that substance and keep you healthy.
How Often Does the Average Person Sneeze?
To determine how often the average person sneezes in a day, a study had 80 hospital employees and medical students record how many times they sneezed and blew their noses over the course of 14 days. None of these students were sick or experiencing allergy symptoms at the time of the study.
Results showed that more than 95% of those surveyed sneezed and blew their nose less than 4 times a day, on average. The study concluded that a higher number might be a sign of rhinitis, which can be caused by multiple different factors.
What Causes Sneezing?
If you find yourself sneezing regularly throughout the day or heavily during particular times of the year, it’s likely being triggered by an illness, allergen or irritant. Some common causes of sneezing include:
- Allergies: If you have allergies, your body mistakes a harmless substance, such as pollen or pet dander, as a threat. Your body sneezes as a way of trying to rid itself of these triggers.
- Infections: Viruses like the cold, flu and Covid-19 often trigger sneezing, in addition to other symptoms like a cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion or runny nose.
- Dry air: If your nasal passages dry out, your mucous membranes are more likely to become irritated, which leads to sneezing.
- Inhaling irritants: This can include accidentally inhaling dust or peppers when you are chopping or cooking with them.
When To See a Doctor
The occasional sneeze is nothing to concern yourself with. Similarly, sneezing is almost never a sign of any serious condition. However, frequent sneezing along with other unpleasant symptoms of a virus or allergies may require a visit to the doctor. They can evaluate all of your symptoms and order tests to determine what ails you.
If you have a virus, oftentimes you’ll just need to rest for a few days and drink plenty of liquids. Other things, like using a vaporizer, over-the-counter medication, or picking up a prescription from your doctor at Arvada Pharmacy and Medical Supply can help manage your symptoms until you feel better.
If you have allergies, you may also need medications like antihistamines as well as try to minimize your exposure to your allergens whenever possible.
For more information or to schedule an appointment to have your symptoms evaluated, call Advantage ENT & Audiology today.