• Question: why does pepper make you sneeze

    Asked by tiapatel to Rick, Colin, Charlotte, Catherine, Becki on 20 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Rebecca Scott

      Rebecca Scott answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      because it irritates the inside of your nose and the only way your body knows how to stop this is to try and sneeze out the irritant. It’s your body’s way of scratching an itch.

    • Photo: Charlotte Dalton

      Charlotte Dalton answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      I actually just looked this up, I had no idea til now! Basically it is all to do with chemistry 🙂 the pepper contains a chemical called piperine that irritates your nose and makes you sneeze it out

    • Photo: Colin Swift

      Colin Swift answered on 20 Jun 2013:

      It contains a chemical, piperine, which stimulates nerve endings in the mucous membrane in the nose. The sneeze is a reflex reaction of the body to try and get rid of it!

    • Photo: Catherine Fontinelle

      Catherine Fontinelle answered on 24 Jun 2013:

      Because the onions make you cry….

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