Question 1

WHAT IS A SNEEZE?

Accepted Answer

Ah-choo! When you feel a sneeze coming on, there’s not much you can do to stop it — especially if you’re suffering from a cold or seasonal allergies. But have you ever wondered what is a sneeze exactly? A sneeze is a sudden burst of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth. It usually occurs when something like dust or pollen irritates the mucus membranes of the nose and throat. As a reflex, your body sneezes in order to get rid of whatever is causing the irritation. Read on to learn more about what causes sneezing and how to stop it.

Question 2

WHAT CAUSES A SNEEZE?

Accepted Answer

Sneezing can be an early symptom of a cold or allergy and is the result of the inflammation of the trigeminal nerve in the nose. This nerve is linked to the “sneeze center” of the brainstem and send signals that prompt a person to sneeze. On the one hand, sneezing is a natural protective system of the body that helps to remove irritants from the nasal passage. On the other hand, sneezing can spread diseases by releasing aerosol droplets containing viruses, which may then be inhaled and infect healthy individuals.

Question 3

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU SNEEZE WITH YOUR EYES OPEN?

Accepted Answer

Most people naturally close their eyes when they sneeze as a reflex. The brain sends signals to your eyes telling them to close but like any reflex, this urge can be suppressed. If you keep your eyes open, your eyeballs will stay firmly planted in your head. Your eyes have muscles holding them in place (in other words, they’re not kept in your head by your eyelids). Though the blood pressure behind your eyes does slightly increase when you sneeze, it’s not enough to dislodge your eyeballs from your head. So while you should always cover your nose and mouth when sneezing to keep others from getting sick, you don’t need to worry about keeping your eyes shut.

Question 4

HOW CAN I TREAT A SNEEZE?

Accepted Answer

If your sneezing is caused by allergies, you should try to reduce your exposure to the allergen. This can be done by changing furnace filters, keeping pets outside the home to get rid of animal dander, travelling to areas with low pollen counts, using air filters to reduce pollen in the air, and washing sheets and towels in hot water to kill dust mites.

Sneezing can also be treated with antihistamines. If your sneezing is the result of a cold or the flu, it will likely stop once your other symptoms subside. In addition to sneezing, you might experience blocked nose and sore throat. You can try Sinex Micromist which helps unblock your nose caused due to hayfever and sinusitis for upto 8 hours. If you experience a stuffy nose and cough, you can use medications like VapoRub can help you feel better. VapoRub eases symptoms like sore throat, blocked nose, cough due to cold and congestion.

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