SNEEZE FACTS
The word sternutation is not a major medical procedure, but it’s really just another way of saying sneezing. However you say it, the method remains the same. When something tickles the nose lining, the nerves located there send a signal to the brain, which initiates a chain of messages to other parts of the body–chest, abdomen, face, eyelids, the mucus glands in the nose, even the sphincter–that work together to expel the irritant. When we fall asleep, those nerves are at rest, which is why we don’t sneeze while we snooze.
2. We can’t sneeze and keep our eyes open–and no one knows why.
Scientists are still unclear as to why our eyes reflexively close during a sneezing episode. Some believe that it’s an evolutionary adaptation meant to protect our eyes from whatever particles come flying out of our noses and mouths when we sneeze. Others claim it’s just one of many muscle contractions that take place during the progression. And the old wives’ tale about eyelids closing to keep the eyes from popping out is impossible. While a hearty sneeze can put a good amount of pressure behind one’s eyes, it’s not enough to do that kind of damage.
Scientists are still unclear as to why our eyes reflexively close during a sneezing episode. Some believe that it’s an evolutionary adaptation meant to protect our eyes from whatever particles come flying out of our noses and mouths when we sneeze. Others claim it’s just one of many muscle contractions that take place during the progression. And the old wives’ tale about eyelids closing to keep the eyes from popping out is impossible. While a hearty sneeze can put a good amount of pressure behind one’s eyes, it’s not enough to do that kind of damage.
3. Sneezes travel fast and furiously.
One person’s sneeze can travel up to one hundred miles per hour. The particles and spit emitted when we sneeze can travel up to five feet away, making it all the more important to cover our mouths and noses to protect innocent bystanders. Even if no one’s standing right next to us, the bacteria sent into the air by our expulsion can spread up to 150 feet away. You could be walking down the street through someone’s sneeze bacteria and not even know it, so just think about that the next time you fail to reach for a handkerchief.
One person’s sneeze can travel up to one hundred miles per hour. The particles and spit emitted when we sneeze can travel up to five feet away, making it all the more important to cover our mouths and noses to protect innocent bystanders. Even if no one’s standing right next to us, the bacteria sent into the air by our expulsion can spread up to 150 feet away. You could be walking down the street through someone’s sneeze bacteria and not even know it, so just think about that the next time you fail to reach for a handkerchief.
4. Superstition’s nothing to sneeze at.
There’s a lot of superstition involving sneezes, right down to which way we turn our heads. Among some people, such as the ancient Romans and Greeks, a sneeze to the right was a sign of luck and a sneeze to the left predicted a portentous future. Most cultures have an assumed response after someone sneezes: “Bless you” in English, “Salud” or “To your health” in Spanish, and so forth. In almost every language, the response translates to a wish for the sneezer’s good health. It’s thought that saying, “Bless you” came from Bubonic Plague times when one sneeze could’ve signaled a person’s assured demise, but that is just one of a few theories out there. Others claim that sneezing is the soul’s attempt to leave the body because it’s written in the Bible that Adam came to life by God breathing into his nose. As Milhouse from The Simpsons explains, “When you sneeze, that’s your soul trying to escape. Saying “God bless you” crams it back in.”
There’s a lot of superstition involving sneezes, right down to which way we turn our heads. Among some people, such as the ancient Romans and Greeks, a sneeze to the right was a sign of luck and a sneeze to the left predicted a portentous future. Most cultures have an assumed response after someone sneezes: “Bless you” in English, “Salud” or “To your health” in Spanish, and so forth. In almost every language, the response translates to a wish for the sneezer’s good health. It’s thought that saying, “Bless you” came from Bubonic Plague times when one sneeze could’ve signaled a person’s assured demise, but that is just one of a few theories out there. Others claim that sneezing is the soul’s attempt to leave the body because it’s written in the Bible that Adam came to life by God breathing into his nose. As Milhouse from The Simpsons explains, “When you sneeze, that’s your soul trying to escape. Saying “God bless you” crams it back in.”
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