A Sneeze Is Coming On
A Sneeze Is
Coming On
Have you ever wondered why
you sneeze? Are you curious
about what is happening in your
nose when you sneeze? Read
this information report to learn
about the chain reaction in your
body that causes a sneeze. Learn
how sneezing can protect you
from harm.
Other Information Reports
(Cause/Effect)
in Springboard 6:
Springboard 6
Bushfires!
The Piece of Paper Path
Written by Nicole Ward
Written by Nicole Ward
Cover image of a girl about to sneeze
Photography by Corbis/Tranz (p31, p38); Getty Images (Adam Barnes p1; Altrendo p5, p8, p9
second from bottom, pp18–19; Michael Najjar p9 second from top; Debra & Charles LaCoppola
& Meier p9 bottom; Visuals Unlimited p10; Westmorland p13; Roger Ressmeyer p23; David
Burder p26; 3D4Medical p29); Photolibrary (cover, pp6–7, p12, p21, p27, p33, p36); AAP/AP
(p25); Stockbyte (p9 middle, p34); Artville (p20); Photodisc (p9 top, p22, p35, p37); Corbis (p30)
© 2007 Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd
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A Sneeze Is Coming On
A Sneeze Is
Coming On
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
While every care has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyright, the publishers tender
their apologies for any accidental infringement where copyright has proved untraceable.
Published by
Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd
Level 1, 15–19 Claremont Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141
www.macmillan.com.au
Contents
Edited by Adrian Bell
Designed by Andrew Aguilar
Printed in Hong Kong
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Introduction........................................4
ISBN: 978-1-4202-6200-1
Why Do People Sneeze?....................7
What Is Happening
in Your Nose?............................... 10
The Nervous System......................... 14
Allergic Reactions............................ 18
Other Causes of Sneezing................28
Avoiding a Sneeze............................34
Glossary............................................ 39
Index.................................................40
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Introduction
It always happens when you do not want it to. You get a
distant, tickling feeling in the back of your nose. Then the
feeling starts to grow, getting worse and worse until your
eyes start to water. You know what is coming but there is
nothing you can do to stop it. The feeling takes over your
whole face. You take a big breath, your muscles tighten,
and then…achoo! You explode in a sneeze. Now there is a
tingling sensation and you hope that there will be no more.
But no – here comes another sneeze. You wonder why this is
happening to you as your eyes begin to water again.
In this book you will learn the whys and whats of
sneezing. Why do you sneeze, what makes you sneeze, and
what actually happens when you sneeze? You will learn
about your network of nerves, and how it uses different parts
of your body to make you sneeze.
Sneezing actually involves several
different parts of the body.
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Why Do People Sneeze?
You sneeze because your body has found something in
your nose that it needs to expel. If you have just sneezed,
something has probably irritated the lining of the nasal
passages inside your nose.
The technical term for sneezing is “sternutation.”
Sternutation is your body’s way of protecting itself from
harmful material in the air, or irritants, that you have
breathed in. Your body does not want this material to
reach your lungs. Irritants in your nose include things such
as dust, dirt, and pollen. Sometimes your body mistakes
strong odours, temperature changes, and even bright light
for irritants, and tries to defend itself with a sneeze. As well
as irritants, sneezing expels harmful germs – bacteria and
viruses that are making you sick.
When you sneeze, droplets fly
out of your mouth as your body
tries to get rid of something
that should not be there.
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Sneezing is an action that your body takes by itself, and
that you do not control. This kind of action is called a reflex.
You do it without thinking, and it happens whether you
want it to or not. Have you ever noticed that you close your
eyes when you sneeze? This is also a reflex. You have no
control over your eyes when you sneeze. The muscles that
control your eyelids tighten and you close your eyes. Many
people believe that the purpose of this reflex is to stop your
eyeballs popping out of your head when you sneeze. But this
is not true; people who do not have the reflex sneeze with
their eyes open, and they still have their eyeballs. In fact, no
one is sure why the eyes close when a person sneezes.
Some Common Reflex Actions
blinking
gag reflex
goose bumps
mouth watering
pupil contraction
sneezing
slowing down of heart
when face underwater
Most people cannot keep
their eyes open when they
sneeze, even if they try.
yawning