Sneeze



Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION3

SNEEZING3

CAUSES OF SNEEZING6

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES7

CONCLUSION9

REFERENCES10

Sneeze

Introduction

One of the main functions of our nose is to filter things out of the air so it's clean when it goes into our lungs. Every time we breathe in through our nose, thousands of tiny pieces of dust and other particles go inside. Many of these are stopped by the hairs in our nostrils. For particles that get further inside, the mucus that lines the passages in our nose catches them. Usually, this layer of mucus holds the particles until it's swept out the back of our nose by tiny hairs called cilia. But every now and then, the mucus gets really full of particles, or something really irritating like pepper, gets in our nose. When this happens, the lining of our nose becomes irritated, causing us to sneeze. The sneeze makes us take in a big breath, and then blast it out of our nose and mouth, sometimes at over 100 mph(Beckman Nordenson 1983). This causes the mucus and particles inside it to be blown out of our nose, getting rid of what was irritating our nose. Many times it takes more than one sneeze to get rid of the irritation. Sneezes are very beneficial, especially when we have colds. Sneezing helps get rid of the mucus and helps us get over the cold faster.

Sneezing

Sneezing, also known as sternation, used to be considered as the body driving out evil spirits. Today we know that the sudden forceful expulsion of air through the nose and mouth, is caused by irritation of the mucous membrane(Semes Amos Waterbor 1995). Sneezing usually occurs when the nerve endings of the mucous membrane of the nose are irritated, due to a swelling of the membrane, for example when we have a cold, or when some foreign body, such as a gnat, invades our nose, or when allergy and pollen season strike. Surprisingly enough, sneezing can be brought on (or out!) when the optic nerves in our eyes are exposed to bright light! For whatever reason, the membrane is irritated, sneezing is a reflex act, completely beyond our control, by which the nose trumpets out air in an attempt to eject the irritating bodies. Sometimes, however, this is accomplished only through multiple sneezes. Sneezing typically occurs when foreign particles or sufficient external stimulants pass through the nasal hairs to reach the nasal mucosa. This triggers the release of histamines, which irritate the nerve cells in the nose, resulting in signals being sent to the brain to initiate the sneeze through the trigeminal nerve network. The brain then relates this initial signal, activates the pharyngeal and tracheal muscles and creates a large opening of the nasal and oral cavities, resulting in a powerful release of air and bioparticles. The powerful sneeze is attributed to its involvement of numerous organs of the upper body - it is a reflexive response involving the face, throat, and chest muscles

A cause of sternutation is sudden exposure to bright light - known as the ...