• Question: Why do we sneeze?

    Asked by iamjasminetovey to Angela, Gopal, Hannah, Becky, Vince on 21 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Angela Hackett

      Angela Hackett answered on 21 Jun 2013:

      Sneezing is a great way for your body to quickly get rid of a big load of mucus. Your upper airways are lined with a layer of mucus. It’s very important as it captures any bacteria, viruses or debris that you inhale. Your airway cells have little brush-like structures on them called cilia and the cilia beat together to push the mucus up and out of you lungs, along with all the bad things stuck in it. If you need to get rid of what you have inhaled a bit quicker, you sneeze. When you sneeze, your lungs inhale a lot of air and force it out very quickly. The tube that leads from your windpipe into your mouth closes so that all the air and mucus flies out your nose!

    • Photo: Rebecca Cook

      Rebecca Cook answered on 22 Jun 2013:

      I sneeze when I look a bright light and so do quite a lot of other people. This phenomenon is called photic sneeze reflex but also ACHOO syndrome..which I find a little bit amusing. No-one really knows why this happens though.

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