Is Forcing a Sneeze Dangerous?

Question

I have had the worst allergies and stuffiness my entire life. Very rarely am I capable of breathing through my nose, and I always sniffle.

One day, long ago, I learned that I can shove a thin tissue up my nose in order to tickle something or other up there and force a sneezing fit. Sneezes break up my mucous and unblock my nose when nothing else works, so when my sniffling is irritating the h**l out of everyone around me, or simply when I'm suffocating because it's hard to breathe, I'll do this and induce a sneeze.

Now that I'm older, I'm wondering:

What exactly am I doing to my nose that makes me sneeze?

Is it safe to do this all the time, or am I harming my natural sneezing signals somehow?

Is this something that other people do?

Could it be harmful to my health?

Etc.

If anybody can answer some of these questions, it would be a load off my mind (or maybe a huge new concern?!?!), because this is something of a habit, and I'm just getting curious now.

Answer 1

I would consult this with a physician if I were you. But I would say that it wouldn't harm you now and then to unclog your nose with this technique because after all, your body is meant to sneeze. If you abuse doing this, I'm pretty sure you will harm your body because you will soon irritate your sinuses.