how and why do we sneeze?

Answers to how and why do we sneeze

Once that tingling and twitching starts in your nose, there's no stopping it. A whole-hearted sneeze makes us feel so much better and there's a reason behind it. Sneezing is one of the body's ways of expelling harmful substances that enter our body. The nose works as an air purifier, cleansing the air that enters of bacteria and other particles. So when viruses and bacteria multiply in our nose during a cold, or a cloud of dust blows in our face, or even when we have an allergic reaction, the nerve endings in our nose get irritated and with a blast of air, the nose sweeps its passageways clean.

A sneeze is formed by the spasm of the chest and of the pharynx that connects the esophagus and the nasal cavity. When the nerve endings in the lining of the nose detect the irritating substances, they send impulses to the part of the brain that controls involuntary actions. The brain then sends signals to the chest muscles to squeeze the lungs. The pharynx also shuts to prevent the air being squeezed out of the lungs into the mouth. And so, with a loud blast, the air is expelled through the nose in the form of a sneeze.

Interestingly, some people sneeze when they walk into bright sunlight. It is said that this is a reaction to the ultraviolet rays of the sunlight irritating the nose lining. Whatever makes you sneeze, just be sure to cover your nose so bacteria don't passed to the person standing next to you.

The sneeze center is a part of the brain that not many people have heard of. If the inside of your nose gets a tickle, then the sneeze center alerts all the other muscles that work together to sneeze. Sneezing is a reflex. A reflex is where your body does something automatically and is something that you have no control over.

Why do we sneeze?
Sneezing is a way that your body gets rid of bad things that are in your nose. These things might be bacteria, germs, and other things. You also sneeze when you smell pepper because your body does not like pepper!

When you suddenly you see a bright light like the sun or a light bulb then you feel like you are going to sneeze. Most people feel like you do when you see the light. Actually 1 out of 3 people sneeze when they see the bright light. Those people are "Photic Sneezers." Photic really is another word for light. Photic sneezing is something that you get from one of your parents because it is something that runs in one side of your family.

How do we sneeze?
Cold and flu season is here, you're curled up on the couch watching daytime TV with a box of Kleenex by your side . . . pause a moment to reflect on the sneeze. Sure it's a nuisance right up there on the "gross meter" of bodily functions, but it's also an amazing part of being a human. Anyone pondering the sneeze will realize there are many different types -perhaps you're a machine gun multi-sneezer, your Uncle Fred sounds like a trumpet and your big sister barely makes a coquettish squeak.  … It's likely you have someone in your family to blame for your sneeze style.

Here are just a few types:
   * Internal Sneeze -- Nothing really comes out except an odd "ump" noise. It's a wonder their eardrums don't explode.
   * The Shout-it-Out Sneeze -This manly sneeze is so loud it can be heard in the next state.
   * The How High Can You Count? Sneeze -- The sneezer that keeps sneezing one right after the other until he begins to look like Count von Count from "Sesame Street."
   * Spray Gun -- This sneezer makes you wish you were carrying an umbrella and wearing a raincoat.

Can you sneeze with your eyes open?
Some people can sneeze with their eyes open and some people can’t. Sneezing is a reflex and so is closing our eyes. We have no control over whether or not we close our eyes when we sneeze. Some people don’t have reflex, so when they sneeze then their eyes won’t close. Some people try to close their eyes so when they sneeze their eyes won’t pop out. Your eyes don’t really pop out. People without the reflex to sneeze with their eyes open can try to train themselves to sneeze with their eyes open. One good way to do this is if when you sneeze you hold your eyes open.

   People think that when you close your eyes when you sneeze that you are blocking germs and bacteria. That is not true because your eyes deal with germs all the time. If you close your eyes during a sneeze, then it is just a reflex. During this part of the sneeze, we tense some of our muscles. The tensing (tightening) of our muscles causes our eyes to shut.

   People that sneeze a lot can prevent sneezing. If you feel a sneeze, then use saline solution. You can also softly hold your nose at the end. These things can help your body remove things it does not want without sneezing.

   No one knows the reason you close your eyes when you sneeze. There are many possibilities. Some people think it is to protect your eyes from flying goop. Most doctors think that it is still a reflex, or we just can’t help it.

   Sneezing is very good for you and your body because it removes things from your body like bacteria and germs. It also is good because it keeps the tubes that carry the air from your nose to the lungs healthy. Sneezing makes your nose clear when you have a cold. If you used to hate sneezing, then I hope this has changed your mind.

Another View on Why do we sneeze?
Sneezing involves a sudden and violent expiration of breath through the nose and mouth. But what is the purpose of this, other than being a way for foul people on the train to cover me with snot when they don't bother covering their mouths?

Basically, sneezing occurs when the sensitive lining of the noise is irritated. And I don't mean when it gets a bit annoyed, but when something gets up there that shouldn't be there. It could be a viral infection, a bit of pollen, animal hair, perfume, cold air, smoke or pretty much anything else that will fit and can tickle your nasal passages.

A sneeze usually starts with chemicals such as histamine being released by inflammatory cells in the nose, telling the body that something is there that shouldn't be. Stimulation of nerve endings mean a message can get sent to the brain causing a reflex reaction that results in a sneeze. Of course, in allergies the body gets it wrong and thinks that something harmless (like pollen) is trying to attack us, so it causes the release of histamine and we start sneezing when there is no need.

A sneeze manages to be so powerful by closing the vocal cords and building-up pressure inside the chest. This causes that weird feeling just before a sneeze when you know you are just about to and generally end up with a really silly expression on your face. The air in your chest is under lots of pressure so when the vocal cords are opened, it rushes out really fast (think of how the air in a balloon rushes out if you let go of the mouth after blowing it up). This results in anything unwanted hopefully being shot our of our noses at great speed! Many people believe that if our eyes were to stay open during this process, they would be blown clean out of our head. If you'd like to find out about this you can read Can you sneeze with your eyes open?

Interestingly, sometimes people sneeze when there is no reason at all, such as when they look at bright lights.

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