It seems that we all smell pepper at one time and then sneeze. Seems crazy, but why?? Anyone know?
2007-01-05 11:02:57 · 9 answers · asked by collegefootballgatorgirl 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
The pepper irritates the nasal lining and the sneeze is a reaction by the body to get rid of whatever is doing the irritating.
2007-01-05 11:06:49 · answer #1 · answered by huskie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Years ago my school sold sneezeless pepper as a fund raising device. The rap then was that the reason people sneeze with pepper is BECAUSE it IS NOT washed before grinding/pulverizing. The pepper we sold sure enough WAS washed; the peppers were washed before being processed and dried and ground. Guess what? The pepper did NOT make any of us sneeze!! And we tried repeatedly just to test he premise. SO, that is my take on the matter!
2007-01-05 11:07:56 · answer #2 · answered by mountain woman 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because the chemical piperine, an irritant, gets into the nose.
A sneeze is a reflex that is triggered when nerve endings inside the mucous membrane of the nose are stimulated.
Pepper, be it white, black, or green, contains an alkaloid of pyridine called piperine. Piperine acts as an irritant if it gets into the nose. It stimulates (or irritates) the nerve endings inside the mucous membrane. This stimulation will cause you to sneeze. Actually, the nose wants to kick out this irritant and the only way it knows how to do this is by sneezing."
2007-01-05 11:05:55 · answer #3 · answered by Melli 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Pepper contains an irritant. Your nose releases histamines, which is your body's chemical response to an irritant. Histamines in turn cause your body to respond in a certain way to relieve itself of the irritant. In this case it is the irritant in pepper.
2007-01-05 11:07:14 · answer #4 · answered by bruce_eel 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's an irritant to the nasal passages.
2007-01-05 12:57:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2007-01-05 11:05:14 · answer #6 · answered by shayla-pooh 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes. Everything makes me sneeze though, dry air, dust, sunlight....
2007-01-05 11:06:19 · answer #7 · answered by Bored Enough To Be Here 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
because some people are alergic to it
and it irriatates your nostrols
2007-01-05 11:06:54 · answer #8 · answered by charday_bonner 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
cuz the stuff gets in your nose and irritates it
2007-01-05 11:06:26 · answer #9 · answered by Diana 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋