{"id":365,"date":"2021-11-26T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=101342"},"modified":"2021-11-26T12:12:08","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T11:12:08","slug":"the-life-threatening-reasons-you-should-never-try-to-suppress-a-sneeze","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/the-life-threatening-reasons-you-should-never-try-to-suppress-a-sneeze\/","title":{"rendered":"The life-threatening reasons you should never try to suppress a sneeze"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Helen Pilcher\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 26 November 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Aaaaachooo! Sneezing, also known as sternutation, is the rapid and involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth. When you inhale before a sneeze, the pressure in your chest increases. Then, when you exhale during the act, the pressure drops.<\/p>\n

This causes a fleeting change to the heart rate, which quickly corrects itself. So, although you may feel like your heart has skipped a beat, the trusty muscle does not stop beating.<\/p>\n

Sneezing can be good for you because it helps rid the body of respiratory irritants, such as pollen and dust. However, suppressing a sneeze, by holding your breath or pinching your nose, might even be bad for you.<\/p>\n

One computer simulation found that, compared with a normal sneeze, it can raise the pressure inside the airways by up to 24 times, resulting in possible damage. Injuries can range from relatively minor, like a ruptured eardrum or burst blood vessel in the nose, to the life-threatening, such as the rupturing of a brain aneurysm, or the trapping of air in the diaphragm leading to the collapse of the lungs.<\/p>\n

Remember: sneeze, but sneeze with care. The activity can propel droplets and germs at speeds of up to 160km\/h (100mph), so always cover your nose and mouth!<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n