You’re sitting in class, minding your own business, when your nose decides it has other plans. You know what’s about to happen, and you try to remember all the tricks in the book – how do I stop this sneeze attack from coming?
Have you ever wondered why we sneeze so many times in a row? It’s never a one-and-done type of deal. And even if you haven’t wondered, now that you see this article I know you’re thinking,…“True, I guess I do wonder why.”
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Sneezing is a nerve reflex. It’s like when the doctor hits your knee with that hammer-looking thing and your leg freaks out. Basically, some sh*t in your nose that is not supposed to be there and your nose wants it out. In scientific lingo, you’re experiencing nasal irritation and which signals to your brain to attempt to remove the irritant from the nasal cavity.
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Okay, now you’re thinking “Great. That explains why I sneeze once. But what about the second, third, or fourth time when people start giving me glares?” It is very uncommon that the one sneeze is powerful enough to expel the invading particle. That first sneeze usually doesn’t perform too well, and you need another one to finish the job. More sneezes = worse performing sneezes.
Your sneezes would be getting bad grades if they went to college.
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There are some handy-dandy tricks that you’ve probably heard of to prevent a sneeze when you feel one coming on?
Example: saying Pineapple. Weirdly enough, the way your mouth moves to shape the word distracts your brain and makes it “forget” to signal a sneeze. But, this isn’t really a good thing. Now whatever funky stuff is in your nose is still there.
So, if you didn’t know, now you know.