Sneezing
Sneezing is defined as a deep inspiration followed by a massive and uncontrollable expiration of air through the nose associated with a characteristic sound depending on how much of the mouth is open at the time.
People with allergies sneeze because they release irritant chemicals like histamine into the nose when they come into contact with allergens they are sensitive to, such as dust mite, animals or pollen. Sneezing due to pollen allergies usually occurs in spring and summer. However, you do not have to have allergies to sneeze. Almost anything that irritates the nose can trigger a sneezing fit, including dust, strong smells, temperature changes and infections.
Sneezing is a useful compensatory mechanism employed by the body in its attempt to get rid of noxious toxic or irritating particles, substances or gases from within the nostrils. In excess, sneezing can be very annoying, exhausting or even incapacitating to the patient.
Sneezing is a reflex and so is closing our eyes. We have no control over whether or not we close our eyes when we sneeze. Some people don't have reflex, so when they sneeze then their eyes won't close. Some people try to close their eyes so when they sneeze their eyes won't pop out. Your eyes don't really pop out. People without the reflex to sneeze with their eyes open can try to train themselves to sneeze with their eyes open. One good way to do this is if when you sneeze you hold your eyes open.
Unusual facts about sneezing
- Some cultures have considered sneezing as a sign of good fortune whereas others have seen it as an omen of death. Indeed, the saying "God Bless You" is thought to have arisen during the Bubonic Plague of the 6th century, where sneezing was one of its early symptoms.
- The material spread by sneezing can travel 2-3 metres, at a speed of around 150 km/hour, so it's a very efficient way of spreading germs.
- Some people sneeze when they pluck their eyebrows, get cold or go out into the sun. "Sun sneezing (Photic sneezing)" often runs in families, and occurs in around one in four people.
- The world record for sneezing is held by Donna Griffiths from Worstershire in the UK, who sneezed for 978 days in a row, stopping on 16 September 1983.
- Some even credit the development of movies to Thomas Edison's serial photographs of someone sneezing in 1888!
- For those with hay fever, it can be very hard to avoid exposure to allergic triggers. Allergens have been found in underwater submarines, in scuba tanks, the Antarctic and even in space! (In space, no one can hear you sneeze?)
Causes of Sneezing
1. Local causes: Acute rhinitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nostrils), hay fever, nasal polyps (out growths), deviated nasal septum, foreign body, dust, irritating gases or particles.
2. General causes: Measles, influenza, and whooping cough.
3. Drugs: Aspirin, opium.
4. Psychological: Hysteria, neurosis.
Clinical Features of Sneezing
1. Running nostrils, red nose.
2. Non-stop sneezing.
3. Exhaustion, fatigue, drained out.
4. Watering of the eyes.
5. Itching and redness.
Management of Sneezing
1. Take an antihlstaminic (anti-allergic pill).Be careful about driving because of the sedative side effect.
2. Treat the cause.
3. Use of nasal filters or a filter mask.
4. Keep windows shut during the pollen season.
5. Consult a doctor to rule out any other causes of continuous sneezing.
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