AHHH CHOO! Have you ever wondered how and why we sneeze?

Sneezing, also called sternutation, is a reflex that happens when the mucous membranes in our nose become irritated, and is a way the body expels bacteria and germs.

There is a special center in the brain called the sneezing center that is alerted when your nose gets a tickle. When the sneezing center receives the “tickle message,” it sends a message to all the other muscles that work together to make a sneeze.

Some of the muscles used in a sneeze are the stomach muscles, the diaphragm, the chest muscles, the muscles in the back of your throat and the muscles that control your vocal cords. When all of these muscles are alerted in the right order from the sneezing center, thousands of tiny particles are sent flying out of your nose at speeds up to 100 miles per hour!

While most know that dust and pepper can make us sneeze, are you aware that combing your hair, eating too much, rubbing the inner corner of your eye, tweezing your eyebrows, or looking at a bright light or the sun (not recommended) can make a person sneeze? One in three people sneeze when they are exposed to bright light. This is called Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Opthalmic Outburst Syndrome, or photic (which means light) sneezing. A photic sneezer inherits this trait from a parent.

Have you ever wondered, “If I sneeze with my eyes open, will they pop out?” The answer is no! There are people who actually sneeze with their eyes open because they cannot close them. Since sneezing is a reflex, your eyes close as your muscles tighten up. However, you can train your eyes to stay open when you sneeze by holding your eyes open when you do so.

So the next time you feel a tickle in your nose, and you are about to sneeze, you now know that the alert message has gone out—and your body is about to react!

The human body is truly an awesome marvel of God’s handiwork!