How to release a ‘trapped’ sneeze, according to experts…including the genius ’tissue trick’

It’s a problem that many will be experiencing right now – or will do in the coming months as cold and flu season ramps up.

You can feel a sneeze coming on, with tingles overtaking your nasal passages…but it just won’t come out.

This happens when something interferes with the reflex that causes the sneeze –  when the lining of your nose becomes irritated by pollutants, which the body tries to expel.

Sometimes the signals sent between the nerves in the nose and the brain go awry, causing that frustrating halfway sneeze. So what’s the best way to solve the problem?

On TikTok, content creators are sharing thousands of clips demonstrating their clever hacks for letting out a stuck sneeze – including pressing a finger on the roof of your mouth and pushing rolled-up paper inside the nostril.

But do any of them work? 

 Lauren Thayer, a registered nurse at Ohio-based Health Canal, has told DailyMail.com which are worth trying, and which could in fact do you harm. 

Morgen Marie, an influencer in California, posted a video on TikTok in May in which she claimed she learned how to sneeze on command. 

‘My allergies were so bad, and you know when you really have to sneeze and your nose just kind of tricks you?’ the mother-of-five said in the video, which has more than 625,000 views. ‘It’s kind of miserable.’

She pressed one fingernail just inside her nostril and onto the outer wall of her nose.

In seconds, she was able to sneeze. ‘You feel so much better,’ she said. 

TikTok user Ellai commented below the video: ‘IT WORKED WHAT THE HECK.’

A user named Hope said: ‘i have been using this forever and no one believed me.’ 

And Yeet wrote: ‘I do this all the time – it’s great for my allergies in the spring time.’ 

Meanwhile, another TikToker with the username Tucie Tutorials posted a video in June showing that pressing the tip of his finger on the roof of his mouth caused him to sneeze.

And Jess, a creator based in Florida, shared a video where she stuck a twisted piece of toilet paper up her nose to sneeze. ‘Make it touch the back of your nostrils,’ she advised.

She poked the nostril for nearly one minute before finally sneezing. ‘It’s something about fresh toilet paper that activates my sneezes.’

Interestingly, Ms Thayer said that two of these TikTok tricks may actually work.

‘Roll up a tissue so the end is pointy and insert it into your nose,’ she said. ‘This will stimulate the trigeminal nerve, sending a message to your brain that prompts a sneeze.’ 

The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve and sends pain, touch, and temperature signals. This includes the urge to sneeze.

Touching the roof of your mouth with your tongue or finger also activates that nerve, as well as plucking a nose hair. 

However, avoid sticking anything too far up your nose to avoid it getting stuck. 

Ms Thayer also says for some people, looking at a bright light can help.

Up to a third of the population is affected by something called photic sneezing –  also known as autosomal dominant compulsive helio-ophthalmic outbursts of sneezing (ACHOO Syndrome).

This is when some people sneeze as a result of sun or bright light exposure. 

The light triggers a reflex that helps the eyes and the nose communicate.

It most commonly happens after exposure to intense sunlight after moving from a dark environment, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

The condition tends to be genetic. 

Taking a whiff of pepper or other spices could also help you get rid of that stuck sneeze. 

‘Spices such as green pepper and black pepper contain piperine, which irritates the nose. This can stimulate a sneeze by triggering the nerve endings as the nose tries to get rid of this irritant,’ Ms Thayer said.

Fizzy drinks can also be useful.  Ms Thayer said inhaling or drinking too much fizz could lead to excess carbon dioxide in the body, which can cause you to sneeze. 

Ms Thayer says sneezes are crucial – and holding it in could cause serious damage.

Attempting to suppress a sneeze causes excess pressure in the throat or sinuses, which leads to injuries.

 Ms Thayer said this includes ear infections, ruptured eardrums, blood vessel damage to the nose, broken ribs, and, rarely, a brain aneurysm.