Some people will hold back their sneezes in public, but there are certain health risks associated with this behavior. By holding back a sneeze, the airflow may enter the ear through the airway behind the nose and crack the eardrum. In addition, holding back a sneeze can damage the function of the blood vessels in the brain and eyes, strain the muscles in the back, and even injure the ribs. If you have to hold back a sneeze for a specific reason, we recommend the following methods to “defuse” it: try rubbing your nose when you want to sneeze, try to breathe deeply through your nose, and press your upper lip, all of which can suppress the sneeze. Other factors that can trigger sneezing include sunlight, a spicy diet, and plucking nose hairs with tweezers. When a person walks from a dimly lit area to a sunny place, the trigeminal nerve that connects the brain to the nose senses the light and sends signals to the brain to trigger sneezing. Some people sneeze after eating spicy food, which is called gustatory rhinitis.