March 3, 2026, 8:28 am | Read time: 4 minutes

The peak season for allergy sufferers is in full swing and there is a lot of pollen in the air. That’s why you see many people with watery eyes, swollen eyelids and blocked noses. And: they sneeze! If you, too, are currently sneezing from time to time, but have not (yet) been diagnosed with an allergy, could this be the first sign that one is developing?

Can Sneezing Be a Sign of a Developing Allergy?

If you didn’t develop an allergy as a child, you can be happy, but this doesn’t mean that it will stay that way later in life. In fact, allergies can occur much later in life. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), more than 30 percent of adults develop “at least one allergic disease”^.1 There are many possible causes for this, ranging from changes in the immune system, lifestyle, and hormones to the influence of external factors. For example, climate change also influences the amount of pollen and, therefore, the frequency and severity of allergies. Last but not least, allergies, which are known to be caused by sensitivities to non-infectious foreign substances, can develop gradually through repeated contact. An allergy can be recognized by the typical symptoms briefly outlined above.

However, sneezing in particular often occurs without typical allergy symptoms such as dry eyes. Why is that?

Expert Explains Why We Sneeze in the First Place

FITBOOK spoke to the Frankfurt ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr. Roy Süßmann. He explains that sneezing, in general, primarily has an important protective and cleansing function for the upper respiratory tract. “In principle, it is an expression of irritation of the mucous membrane caused by various triggers,” says the expert, “especially infections and allergies.” However, there are several other possible causes. Sneezing is a “very complex issue,” and in some cases, no clear explanation can be found. Experts like Dr. Süßmann then speak of “sneezing of unclear origin”.

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Allergic Sneezing – and a Special Form

A sneeze caused by a pollen allergy occurs when pollen reaches the nasal mucous membranes and airways of those affected. The proteins now released by the pollen activate a sneeze as a defense reaction in the allergy sufferer, often accompanied by watery eyes. Back to the initial question, this type of sneezing cannot be a harbinger of an impending allergy, assures Dr. Süßmann. “If the sneezing is allergic in nature, then the allergy already exists. Then it is a symptom of this allergy.”

There is also an exciting peculiarity: people who sneeze when the sun or another type of light hits their eye. This is a nervous stimulus, explains our expert, called the photic sneeze reflex and also known as ACHOO syndrome (Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst). Research suggests that between 18 and 35 percent of people are affected^.2 It is thought to be due to a genetic predisposition; in affected individuals, two nerves (the optic nerve and the so-called “triplet nerve”) are said to be unusually close together.

Try to Enjoy Sneezing!

Only in very rare cases is there a serious (nerve) disease behind constant sneezing. In most cases, sneezing is a natural reaction of the body, and for some, even a small pleasure. The writer Thomas Mann once described it as such in “The Magic Mountain”. More precisely: as a moment when “the desire to do so swells violently and becomes irresistible, and one exhales and inhales a few times with an intoxicated expression, surrendering blissfully and forgetting the whole world over the blessed outburst”.

Allergy sufferers might not agree, but the sneeze reflex is generally considered a feeling of relief. And then you can definitely enjoy sneezing.