Why do we sneeze?
Sneezing is a natural mechanism of our body to get rid of unwanted things in our nasal passage. These things can be bacteria, germs, pollen, dust etc. It is a reflexive response of brain to any irritation caused to our sensitive nose. As we all know, the nose acts as an air purifier and filters out the harmful particles during inhalation. There are some inflammatory cells in our nose which produce a chemical called “histamine” every time something undesirable comes in contact with the nose. Histamine stimulates the nerve endings inside the nose which send a message to the brain which further sends a message to the chest muscles to contract and close the vocal chords. It creates a lot of pressure in the chest, as the air inside is not allowed to reach the mouth, and then with a sudden blast of air the body tries to expel the unwanted irritants in the nose. This process is called sneezing. The closing of our eyes along with a sneeze is also a reflex action which is a part of sneezing.
There are also some people who start sneezing when they come in contact with bright sunlight. This sneezing can be attributed to a reaction between the epithelial linings of the nose with the ultra violet rays present in the sunlight, but the problem is mostly inherited from one’s parents. There are many medicines available in market for cold and sneezing, but simple cures like drinking saline water or holding the tip of the nose when we are going to sneeze, also proves helpful.
