⚠️This fact has been debunked
This is a widely circulated myth with no scientific basis. Sneezing does not kill brain cells. The brief pressure increase during a sneeze is far too mild and temporary to cause any neurological damage. Medical professionals confirm that the brain's protective structures (skull, cerebrospinal fluid) easily withstand the forces of a sneeze.
Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die.
Does Sneezing Kill Brain Cells? The Truth Behind the Myth
If you've ever heard someone claim that sneezing kills brain cells, you can rest easy—it's completely false. This persistent myth has worried people for years, but neuroscience tells a very different story. Your brain is far more resilient than this old wives' tale suggests.
Why People Believed This Myth
The concern isn't entirely random. When you sneeze, there is a brief increase in pressure inside your skull. People reasoned that if other conditions that raise intracranial pressure—like certain types of strokes—can damage the brain, maybe sneezing could too.
But here's the key difference: the pressure increase from a sneeze is incredibly mild and lasts only a fraction of a second. It's nowhere near the sustained, dangerous levels that cause actual brain damage.
What Actually Happens When You Sneeze
Your brain is protected by multiple layers of defense. It sits inside a hard skull and floats in cerebrospinal fluid that acts as a shock absorber. This setup is designed to handle far more stress than a simple sneeze produces.
During a sneeze, your body does redirect its focus—there's a brief pause in some brain activity as your nervous system concentrates on executing the sneeze reflex. But this momentary shift is just your brain multitasking, not dying. The pause is temporary and completely harmless.
The Common Sense Test
Medical professionals suggest a simple reality check: If sneezing killed brain cells, wouldn't people with allergies show progressive cognitive decline? Wouldn't children with frequent colds struggle in school due to all that sneezing?
The answer is obviously no. People who sneeze frequently—whether from allergies, colds, or environmental irritants—show no signs of brain damage or memory loss related to their sneezing.
Your Brain on Sneezes
Sneezing is actually a sophisticated protective reflex controlled by your brainstem. When irritants enter your nasal passages, sensory nerves send signals to the sneeze center in your medulla. This triggers a coordinated response involving:
- Closing your eyes (you can't sneeze with your eyes open)
- Building pressure in your chest
- Forcefully expelling air at speeds up to 100 mph
- Clearing the irritant from your respiratory system
This is your brain working perfectly, not damaging itself.
So the next time allergy season hits or you catch a cold, sneeze freely. Your brain cells are safe, sound, and completely unaffected by your body's natural defense mechanisms. The only thing dying here is an old myth that never had any scientific legs to stand on.