Why do we sneeze so violently? Why often two or three in a row? And what is the science behind the mechanics of sneezing?
In: Biology
Sneezing is like your body’s way of hitting the “eject” button. When something irritating like dust or pollen gets in your nose, your body goes, “Nope, get outta here!” Your brain sends a signal to clear it out, and your chest muscles, diaphragm, and throat team up to create a big burst of air. It’s like a super-powered nose explosion! We often sneeze multiple times because sometimes one blast isn’t enough to kick out all the irritants. It’s like your nose saying, “Alright, let’s make sure we got everything!” So, sneezing is your body’s dramatic way of keeping your airways clean, launching irritants out with a powerful, sometimes repeated, “Achoo!”
I’m more curious about why it’s so damn satisfying to sneeze.
What’d be the evolutionary advantage of this characteristic?
Well, the “violent” part should be pretty obvious. We want our sneezes to be strong enough to clear the nasal passageway of the irritant. As for multiple times, this is a combination of the nerves in the nasal passageway still being irritated and an evolutionary trait that encourages sneezing multiple times to *ensure* that the irritant is gone.
You sneeze to get things out of your respiratory system that don’t belong there. Both the power and frequency of sneezes is your body trying to ensure that there is nothing harmful in your body. Sometimes it overreacts, but more and bigger sneezes is better than more contagions.
Not everyone sneezes violently or loudly, both of which are somewhat under our own control to some extent.
Latest Answers