When you put your finger under your nose or pinch the end of it, the sensation overpowers the sensation of the sneeze, driving it away.
Because the brain can process only one sensation at a time, the sneeze loses out, says Shahzada Ahmed, a UK ear, nose and throat consultant. We usually sneeze because there is an irritant – often an allergen such as dust, pollen or animal hairs – in the nose.
A sneeze is the body’s way of expelling this irritant. However, pinching the nose doesn’t always work. This is because sneezing is a reflex. “Some people have a very strong sneeze reflex and it would still come out, however much they try to stop it,” says Mr Ahmed. And while it’s possible to suppress a sneeze using one of these methods, you’ll find the sneeze inevitably returns, because the irritant is still there.
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