why do people sneeze and why do you close your eyes when you sneeze?

Answer 1

If you just sneezed, something was probably irritating or tickling the inside of your nose. Sneezing, also called sternutation, is your body's way of removing an irritation from your nose.

When the inside of your nose gets a tickle, a message is sent to a special part of your brain called the sneeze center. The sneeze center then sends a message to all the muscles that have to work together to create the amazingly complicated process that we call the sneeze.

Some of the muscles involved are the abdominal (belly) muscles, the chest muscles, the diaphragm (the large muscle beneath your lungs that makes you breathe), the muscles that control your vocal cords, and muscles in the back of your throat. Don't forget the eyelid muscles! Did you know that you always close your eyes when you sneeze?

It is the job of the sneeze center to make all these muscles work together, in just the right order, to send that irritation flying out of your nose. And fly it does - sneezing can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at up to 100 miles per hour!

Most anything that can irritate the inside of your nose can start a sneeze. Some common things include dust, cold air, or pepper. When you catch a cold in your nose, a virus has made a temporary home there and is causing lots of swelling and irritation. Some people have allergies, and they sneeze when they are exposed to certain things, such as animal dander (which comes from the skin of many common pets) or pollen (which comes from some plants).

Do you know anyone who sneezes when they step outside into the sunshine? About one out of every three people sneezes when exposed to bright light. They are called photic sneezers (photic means light). If you are a photic sneezer, you got it from one of your parents because it is an inherited trait. You could say that it runs in your family. Most people have some sensitivity to light that can trigger a sneeze.

Have you ever had the feeling that you are about to sneeze, but it just gets stuck? Next time that happens, try looking toward a bright light briefly (but don't look right into the sun) - see if that doesn't unstick a stuck sneeze!

Answer 2

Sneezing can be caused from many things. You can have an allergy - eg: cats/and the minute you are near a cat, you will begin to sneeze. A sneeze is a way for the body to get rid of the allergen. Doesn't work too well if you have bad allergies, and you will have to take an antihistamine to help you. You Don't always close your eyes when you sneeze. And Your Eyes will NOT POP OUT! I hope and pray to God, that some of the people who have sent you answers NEVER become ANYTHING associated with the MEDICAL profession! LOL

Answer 3

From what I heard, the reason you close your eyes when you sneeze is because of the pressure when you sneeze, if you keep your eyes open they could possibly pop out of your eye sockets. Try to sneeze with your eyes open and see what happens!

Answer 4

you sneese at a very fast rate. On average about 80miles per hour. The "snot" is blown out the mouth and into the air. To protect itself from germs that may have been just blown out the body closes the eyes.

Answer 5

You sneeze because something foriegn is in your nose and you close your eyes beacuse it's impossible too keep them open.

Answer 6

because particles of dust and other things floating in the air gets sniffed up and it tickles...and we close our eyes because its reflex if we kept them open our eyes would probably pop out of their sockets.

Answer 7

So your eyes don't pop out

Answer 8

idk why peopel sneeze but yes, its completely IMPOSIBLE to sneeze w/ your eyes open. if you somehow do...your eyes might pop out.

Answer 9

Don't know good question?