• Question: I know this sounds kinda silly, but why do we sneeze?

    Asked by lani to Chris, Emily, Martin, Natalie, Tamsin on 20 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Natalie Stanford

      Natalie Stanford answered on 20 Mar 2010:

      Hey lani, this has been answered by a couple of us: /helium-zone/2010/03/why-do-people-get-hick-ups-and-why-do-people-get-sneases/

    • Photo: Chris Cooper

      Chris Cooper answered on 20 Mar 2010:

      Keep those questions coming Iani!

      I answered this one before as part of a response to someone who answered about coughs and sneezes. This is what I said then:

      A sneeze is an expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, usually caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. I think the purpose is probably the body trying to get rid of foreign particles. Sneezing can be triggered through sudden exposure to bright light, a particularly full stomach, or viral infection (such as a cold). The last one is probably the biological reason we sneeze.

    • Photo: Martin Coath

      Martin Coath answered on 21 Mar 2010:

      We have had this question before and I think everyone answered it!

      Basically it is a reflex action to clear out your nose if your body thinks there is something irritating it, like dust.

      It is a simple thing to help you clear stuff out, but you have to be careful if you sneeze because it MIGHT be because you are suffering from an infection and you DONT want to spread it around.

      Check ot the previous answers to sneezing and flu questions. 🙂

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