Achoo! Planet Science investigates the questions you always
wanted to know the answer to. This week, we're finding out
why do we sneeze?
Everyone sneezes, but why do we do it? The inside of your nose
is surprisingly sensitive. Sneezing happens when the inside of your
nose is irritated by something. The irritant could be something
like pollen. People who sneeze when their nose is irritated by
pollen have hayfever.
Or, the irritant could be an infection - that's why people
sneeze if they have a cold. It could even be your mum's
perfume!
The nerves in your nose send a message to your brain saying that
they are irritated. Your brain then sends a message to your nose,
throat and chest, which says sneeze! Your vocal
cords close and build up pressure inside your chest. When your
vocal cords open the air rushes out of your mouth and nose really
fast. This gets rid of anything nasty in your nose. Clever!