Contents:
- Medical Video: Operation Ouch - Sneezing | Biology Facts for Kids
- What causes sneezing?
- 1. Allergy
- 2. Infection
- 3. Irritant
- 4. Medicine
- 5. Sports
- 6. Sunlight
- 7. Other causes
- Myths about sneezing
Medical Video: Operation Ouch - Sneezing | Biology Facts for Kids
Sneezing is the body's way of removing irritation from the nose or throat. This symptom can also be referred to as a forced and strong process of expelling bacteria into the air. Sneezing has a speed of around 160 km / h and can remove 100,000 bacteria in a single beat. This often happens suddenly and without warning. Another name for sneezing is sternutation. Although these symptoms are very disturbing, sneezing is not a symptom of a serious health problem.
What causes sneezing?
One of the functions of your nose is to clean the air you breathe, and ensure that your body is free of dirt and bacterial particles. In many cases, the nose traps dirt and bacteria on mucus. Your stomach then digs mucus to neutralize any potentially dangerous invaders.
Sometimes, dirt and debris can enter the nose and irritate sensitive mucous membranes in the nose and throat. When this membrane no longer holds up, it sneezes. These symptoms can be triggered by allergens, namely viruses such as colds and flu, or by nasal irritation due to inhaled corticosteroids through nasal sprays or drug release.
1. Allergy
Allergy is a very common condition caused by your body's response to foreign organisms. Under normal circumstances, the immune system protects you from dangerous foreign factors, such as bacteria that cause disease. If you have allergies, your immune system identifies dangerous organisms that have the potential to be a threat. Allergies can cause you to sneeze when your body tries to expel this organism.
2. Infection
Sneezing may originate from symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. This usually affects people with weakened immune systems. You can also be a victim of a viral infection that causes infectious rhinitis, and this usually occurs because of rhinovirus and adenovirus. Rhinitis can also occur due to bacterial infection, but the bias in sneezing in this context is related to sinusitis. Fungal infections are rare, but that doesn't mean it's impossible, and this can cause rhinitis and constant sneezing. This infection is more common in people with a compromised immune system.
3. Irritant
Systemic irritants, which are in the air, and those that are swallowed can cause constant sneezing if you do nothing to minimize exposure to irritants. Some of the most common triggers are organic and inorganic dust, environmental pollution, spicy food, perfume, cigarette smoke, dry weather, stress, and hormonal changes.
4. Medicine
Taking certain drugs can also cause rhinitis and cause constant symptoms. Some of the causes include anti-inflammatory steroids, nasal decongestants, beta-blockers, antidepressants, tranquilizers, drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, and oral contraceptives (birth control pills).
5. Sports
Exercise can cause you to sneeze. You will experience hyperventilation when you exert excessive energy, and the result is the mouth and nose begin to dry up. So, when the nose reacts by removing fluids, you will start sneezing.
6. Sunlight
Blazing sunlight can make 1 in 3 people sneeze. This usually occurs due to sensitivity to light. And in fact, light sensitivity is inherited.
7. Other causes
You may also experience sneezing and other allergic symptoms due to several causes other than those mentioned above, such as:
- Nasal polyps
- Neurological condition
- Chlorine exposure in pool water
- Inhaled tobacco
- Inhaled cocaine
Myths about sneezing
There are some wrong myths about sneezing, and strangely, many people still believe it until now. For example, it's not true that your heart stops when sneezing. Chest contractions due to these symptoms cause the blood flow to constrict, so that the rhythm of your heart will change, but that does not mean the heart stops.
Your eyeballs will also not get out of your head if you sneeze with your eyes open. Most people naturally close their eyes, but if they keep their eyes open, the eyes will remain in the same position. Even though the blood pressure behind the eyes will increase when sneezing, this is not enough to make the eyes jump out.
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