Sneezing, also called sternutation, is the way of your body to get rid of irritants from your throat or nose. A sneeze is said to be a powerful and an involuntary expulsion of the air. Sneezing usually happens all of a sudden and without any kind of warning. Though this symptom might be quite annoying, it is not due to any serious health concern. You should go for allergy testing in London and know the exact reason for sneezing.
What causes you to sneeze?
A part of your nose’s job is to clean air that you breathe and ensure it is completely free of bacteria and dirt. Mostly, your nose will be trapping the bacteria and dirt in the mucus. Your stomach will digest the mucus that can neutralize any probable harmful invaders.
Sometimes, the dirt and debris may enter your nose and cause irritation to the sensitive mucous membranes inside your throat and nose. When the membranes get irritated, it will cause you to sneeze.
Sneezing can occur due to different things and some of these are:
- allergens
- viruses like flu or common cold
- inhalation of corticosteroids with a nasal spray
- nasal irritants
- drug withdrawal
Allergies
Allergies are said to be a common condition that occur due to response of your body to foreign organisms. Under normal circumstances, the immune system of your body will protect you from dangerous invaders such as disease-causing bacteria.
If you have performed allergy testing in London and having some kind of allergies, then the immune system of your body will detect harmless organisms in the form of threats. Allergies can be the reason for sneezing when your body tries to drive out these organisms.
Infections
Infections that take place due to viruses such as flu and common cold will make you sneeze. You will come across more than 200 different kinds of viruses that may cause common cold. But most colds occur due to rhinovirus.
Less common causes
- trauma to your nose
- breathe cold air
- withdrawal from some drugs like opioid narcotics
- inhale irritants such as pepper and dust
Nasal sprays with a corticosteroid in them can lessen the inflammation in your nasal passages and reduce the frequency of sneezing. People who have allergies often need to use these sprays.
How you can treat sneezing at home
One of the suitable ways to stay away from sneezing is to avoid things that can cause you to sneeze. You can make some changes in your house in order to lessen the irritants.
Make sure you change the filters on your furnace so that the filtration system in your house works properly. If you are having pets that shed, then you might think about cutting their hair or removing them from the home in case their fur bothers you a lot.
You may kill dust mites on the sheets and other linens in hot water or water that is above 130°F (54.4°C). You may even decide to buy an air filtration machine for cleaning the air properly in your house.
In extreme cases, you should check your home for mold spores that can be the reason for sneezing. When the mold infests your house, it is time for you to move.
How you can treat underlying causes of sneezing
If you are sneezing due to some allergies or infection, then you as well as your doctor should work together to treat the underlying cause of sneezing.
If an allergy is the reason for sneezing, then the first step is to prevent known allergens. Your doctor will teach how you will be able to detect these allergens so that you can stay away from them.
There are over-the-counter and prescription medications known as antihistamines that can actually help to ease the symptoms. Some common anti-allergic medications are cetirizine (Zyrtec) and loratadine (Claritin).
If you have conducted allergy testing in London and found you are suffering from severe allergies, then your doctor will suggest taking allergy shots. These allergy shots consist of the extracts of purified allergens. By exposing your body to these allergens in small and regulated doses, you can keep your body from reacting to such allergens in future.
If you are suffering from any infection like flu or common cold, then the treatment options are will be limited. At presently, there isn’t any effective antibiotic for the treatment of these viruses that can cause common cold and flu.
You may use a nasal spray in order to relieve your runny or congested nose, or take an antiviral medication to speed up the recovery time if you are having flu. Besides, you need to take proper rest and drink lots of fluids so that you body might recover quickly. Besides, visit a reputed private allergy testing clinic in London where the private GPs will help you to overcome such problems quickly.
