Sneezing: The good, bad and ugly!

Sneezing is a curious thing of which I never paid it much mind until my significant other asked me to research the why’s and how’s of it. So, I will do this one—for him.

A sneeze is merely a mechanism of clearing the nose of foreign bodies such as pollen, dirt/dust or smoke and any manner of foreign objects. This can irritate the nostrils as well as the entire breathing apparatus so the sneezing tries to nip it in the bud and retard further irritation or damage. As well, we can react to perfume, mold and pet dander with sneezing.

When the lining of the nose experiences the first tinge of irritation, there is a message sent to the brain to get rid of these foreign particles, thus the sneeze. The body contracts, the eyes shut and the tongue moves to the back of the throat and the process is quick and sometimes quite loud depending on who is doing it. Women can have a tiny one that is barely heard, but men (macho men, like mine, can literally shake the foundation) can get much noisier.

Also, sneezing can send forth many microbes that can spread many ills. This is why you should always cover your mouth when sneezing. In 2012 a study done at the University of Pennsylvania learned that sneezing is a mode in which the nose “resets” itself.  People who have sinusitis are suffering from the sneeze NOT resetting itself, which is the reason for this disorder. 

I had never heard or experienced this, but apparently staring at the sun can cause sneezing. This is called solar sneeze reflex. It is caused by a mix-up in the brain and called Achoo Syndrome. Bright sunlight triggers the optic nerve, which sits right next to the triage in Al nerve that controls sneezing. The brain mistakes the sudden light signal for an irritation in the nose and triggers a sneeze. This is an inherited trait; if one parent has it, you have a 50% chance of getting it. About 18 to 35% of the population has this. The trigger is moving from a dark place to a very bright place or looking at the sun or seeing a flash of bright light.

There is a myth that our heart stops when we sneeze. It feels like your heart skips a beat but it does not—it beats normally. The change in pressure stimulates the vagus nerve, which controls your heart rate. This nerve activity shift can slightly alter your heartbeat or delay the beat by a micro second, but we don’t lose a beat.

The difference in people who sneeze multiple times and those who just do a solo sneeze is that the ones who sneeze multiple times aren’t able to expel all that is needed for the “reset,” whereas the single sneezers get the job done the first time.

Sneezing is pretty uncomplicated, but necessary. No one can write a thesis or dissertation on it, but just another one of the many fascinating bodily operations for which our God provided.