Table of contents:
- What causes sneezing?
- 1. Allergies
- 2. Infection
- 3. Irritant
- 4. Medicines
- 5. Exercise
- 6. Sunshine
- 7. Other causes
- Myths surrounding sneezing
Sneezing is the body's way of getting rid of irritation from the nose or throat. This symptom can also be referred to as the forceful and strong expulsion of bacteria into the air. Sneezing has a speed of about 160 km / hour and can remove 100,000 bacteria in one 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 in the mucus. Your stomach then digests the mucus to neutralize any potentially harmful invaders.
Sometimes, dirt and debris can get into the nose and irritate the sensitive mucous membranes in the nose and throat. When this membrane can no longer stand it, then sneezing occurs. These symptoms can be triggered by allergens, namely viruses such as colds and flu, or by nasal irritation from inhaling corticosteroids via nasal sprays or drug releases.
1. Allergies
Allergies are a very common condition caused by your body's response to foreign organisms. Under normal circumstances, your immune system protects you from harmful foreign factors, such as disease-causing bacteria. If you have allergies, your immune system identifies dangerous organisms that are a potential threat. Allergies can cause you to sneeze when your body tries to expel these organisms.
2. Infection
Sneezing may come from symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. This usually affects people with weakened immune systems. You can also fall victim to a viral infection that causes infectious rhinitis, and this is usually due to rhinovirus and adenovirus. Rhinitis can also occur as a result of a bacterial infection, but sneezing in this context is usually associated with sinusitis. Yeast infection is rare, but not impossible, and it can lead to constant rhinitis and sneezing. This infection is more common in people with compromised immune systems.
3. Irritant
Systemic, airborne, and swallowed irritants can cause constant sneezing if you don't do anything to minimize your exposure to the 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. Medicines
Taking certain medications can also cause rhinitis and cause constant symptoms. Some of the causes include anti-inflammatory steroids, nasal decongestants, beta-blockers, antidepressants, sedatives, drugs to treat erectile dysfunction, and oral contraceptives (birth control pills).
5. Exercise
Exercise can cause you to sneeze. You will hyperventilate when you exert yourself excessively, and the result is that your mouth and nose start to dry out. So when your nose reacts by releasing the fluid, you will start sneezing.
6. Sunshine
The scorching sunshine can make 1 in 3 people sneeze. This usually occurs due to sensitivity to light. And in fact, light sensitivity is an inherited thing.
7. Other causes
You may also experience sneezing and other allergy symptoms due to causes other than those listed above, such as:
- Nasal polyps
- Neurological conditions
- Chlorine exposure to swimming pool water
- Inhaled tobacco
- Inhaled cocaine
Myths surrounding sneezing
There are several false myths surrounding sneezing, and oddly enough, many people still believe in them today. For example, it is not true that your heart stops when you sneeze. The contractions in the chest as a result of these symptoms cause blood flow to constrict, which changes the rhythm of your heart, but that doesn't mean your heart has stopped.
Your eyeballs also won't be able to 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 they will stay in the same position. Even though the blood pressure behind the eye will increase when you sneeze, it is not enough to make the eye pop out.
