Why Do We Sneeze?

Why We Sneeze

Sneezing is a sudden, strong, spasmodic exhalation of air through the nasal opening, a kind of protective reaction of the body to external stimuli.

As soon as something starts to tickle in the nose, it is almost impossible to stop the process of sneezing. But you must have noticed that after sneezing you feel much better, but there are reasons for this. Sneezing is one of the ways that our body gets rid of harmful substances that enter our body. The nose resembles a kind of filter that cleans the incoming air from bacteria and other harmful substances. Therefore, when too many viruses and bacteria are collected in our nose as a result of illness, large amounts of dust, or as a result of allergies, nerve endings are irritated in the nose and all harmful substances go along with the air flow.

Nervous mechanism of sneezing: its centripetal drives are the nasal branches of the fifth pair of cranial nerves; the center is the expiratory centers of the respiratory mechanism, and the centrifugal conductors are the motor nerves, the respiratory mechanisms plus branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Sneezing results from muscle contraction in the chest and pharynx, which connects the esophagus and the nasal cavity. As soon as the nerve endings inside the nose detect a pathogen, they immediately send impulses to the part of the brain that controls involuntary actions. Then the brain transmits signals to the pectoral muscles, and the lungs fill with air. The openings leading from the pharynx to the mouth are closed, thereby preventing air from moving from the lungs to the oral cavity. Then there is a sudden strong exhalation, and the person sneezes.

The nose is the part of a person’s face that participates in breathing, smelling and communicating. One of its most important functions is undoubtedly the function of breathing and the so-called. function "cleansing". The inhaled air passes through the narrow nasal openings. As a result of such a flow of air, heat and moisture exchange occurs and harmful substances are removed from the body. Sneezing usually begins with the elimination of chemicals like histamine and leukotriene. These substances are produced by eosinophilic cells and mast cells, which are usually found in the nasal cavity. Our body must dispose of such chemicals that are caused by respiratory viral infections, irritants, and allergens (substances that cause an allergic reaction) or physical irritants, such as smoking, polluted air, perfume or cold air.

Basically, nerve endings activate reflexes inside our brain. Nerve impulses are transmitted through the sensory nerve to the nerves that control the muscular system of the head and neck, resulting in a strong exhalation of air. The air flow rate is very high because due to the fact that the vocal cords are closed, there is a lot of pressure inside. However, thanks to modern medicine, this process can be controlled. Antihistamines block the action of histamine at receptors located in the nasal blood vessels. Some antihistamines do not cause weakness or drowsiness like other drugs that stimulate receptors located in the same blood vessels in order to cause sneezing and clear the blocked nasal cavity.

Surprisingly, some people can sneeze even from bright sunlight. Scientists attribute this to the fact that the ultraviolet rays of sunlight irritate the olfactory receptors. But whatever the cause of sneezing, never forget to cover your nose during sneezing, so that the bacteria do not spread to the people around you.

Sneezing Can Also Weaken Our Body

Every fifth resident of Australia suffers from allergies, which is considered a disease rather than a serious illness. Unfortunately, allergy sufferers suffer from this and at the end of the day, they feel morally and physically tired. Some serious types of allergies affect our lifestyle, sleep, mood, learning, and work. Acute pollinosis (allergy to grass pollen) can also lead to a number of medical complications, such as inflammation of the middle ear and fistula (a duct in the tissues or organs in the form of a long tubular stroke, resulting from a deepening in the bottom of the ulcer), asthma. Fortunately, today there are many effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of allergies.

A Couple of Interesting Facts About the "Sneeze"

Somehow 12-year-old Englishwoman Donna Griffiths suffered from a long bout of sneezing. Donna sneezed for 977 days (from January 1981 to September 1983). At first, she sneezed every minute, but when the days began to turn into weeks, and weeks into years, she began to sneeze a little less often - every five minutes.

Do men sneeze stronger than women? The speed of exhaled air when sneezing averages 150 km / h. The sneezing process involves the muscles of the face, throat, and chest. Therefore, a young healthy man is likely to sneeze with more force than a more mature person. However, the power of sneezing depends on a number of factors, and therefore, to assert that men sneeze with more force than women would be wrong.

Does the heart stop sneezing? Many argue that while breathing our heart stops working for a while. To some extent this is true, however, you will not feel a change in the rhythm of the heartbeat. When we sneeze or cough, so-called positive pressure forms in the chest. It is this pressure that creates the myth that the heart stops.

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