Mystery illness causes girl to sneeze over 8,000 times a day

If you have any type of allergy, you certainly understand how annoying it can be to both yourself and those around you when you simply cannot stop sneezing.

Well, imagine how it must feel to be this poor girl.

Nine-year-old Ira Saxena, a school girl from the U.K., began sneezing last month at a rate of about ten times a minute -- and doctors have no idea why.

According to the New Zealand Herald, her sneezes, which happen nearly 8,000 times per day, have become very painful and the only relief she gets is when she goes to sleep.

"Three weeks ago she just woke up sneezing and she has not stopped," said Ira's mother, Priya Saxena. "It started slowly and has progressed to become more constant and violent."

No cause has been determined thus far, as allergies and colds have reportedly been ruled out, and common treatments have proven completely ineffective.

"She is not allergic to anything and has been given steroids, antihistamines and a nasal spray but she is just not responding to anything," said her mother. "No one has seen anything like this before. We have tried everything, even prayer. We just want something to work."

The only time Ira has been able to stop sneezing for a prolonged period of time -- other then when she's asleep -- was during a hypnotherapy session.

Sadly, the sneezing resumed immediately after the session ended.

"The doctors are saying it is possibly an incorrect signal being sent from her brain or a tic," her mother added, "but nobody can be sure."

Ira has since been unable to attend school and struggles with related bodily pains, according to the Daily Mail.

In between doctors visits, the desperate family is exploring every homeopathic solution they can and praying for a miracle.

"This is robbing her of her life," her mother told the Daily Mail. "It is so frustrating and she is being very brave. To be truthful, it is affecting me more than it is her, I just want her to be back to how she was before."

Bet you'll never scowl at your sneezing desk mate ever again, now will you?

So ... why even do we sneeze?