Why We Sneeze, and Other Fun Facts About Sneezing
A sneeze can be a wet, slimy mess. It can be a tiny toot. It can happen when we’re allergic, sick, staring at a bright light — or, compulsively, when we’re anxious.
Why do we sneeze? Simply put, a sneeze is the best way for the body to clear its passages so you can keep breathing clean air.
But what causes sneezing? When irritants such as mucus from a cold or the flu, germs, dust, pollen, animal dander, or pollutants — just to name just a few — infiltrate the nose lining, you take a massive inhalation.
Then the chest muscles tighten and pressure builds. The tongue pushes against the roof of the mouth, forcing breath to come out fast through the nose, and — achoo!
Sneezing can be annoying, fun … and funny. About one in four people feel the need to sneeze when they look at a bright light. Others sneeze after orgasm (and some associate the relief of sneezing with sexual release). Still others sneeze when the neighbor’s dog nuzzles them or when spring pollen fills the air.
But the big “achoo” usually isn’t very sexy. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, the expelled air from one sneeze can reach speeds of 30 to 40 mph or more. Talk about nasal warfare.
So it’s not surprising that sneezing, which transmits nasal droplets and saliva through the air, is one of the primary ways infectious diseases — including cold and flu viruses — are transmitted. That’s why people are told to sneeze into a tissue or their elbows during cold and flu season.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us to wash our hands with soap and water after sneezing and throughout the day, particularly after using the bathroom and before eating. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol to clean your hands.
Sneezing is one of the main symptoms of a common cold. Other cold symptoms include:
- Congestion
- Cough
- Generally feeling unwell (malaise)
- Low-grade fever
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Slight body aches or a mild headache
- Sore throat
Sneezing is also a main symptom of hay fever or allergic rhinitis, along with the following:
- Itching of the nose, eyes, or roof of the mouth
- Runny, stuffy nose
- Watery, red or swollen eyes (conjunctivitis)
If you feel the need to sneeze but don’t want to, try looking away from the light, pressing your tongue to the top of your mouth, breathing deeply, or preemptively blowing your nose. Here are other fun and surprising facts about sneezing.
