15 Weird Sneezing Facts

15 interesting facts about sneeze(ing)

#1: Full of germs
Have you ever wondered how many germs a single sneeze can send into the air? We've all seen horrific pictures of sneezes or ones in slow motion in a movie, but what you don't see is the possible 100,000 individual germs that can be in a sneeze.

#2: Sunshine
Sunshine will make one out of three people sneeze. Have you ever wondered why that is? The sneeze is caused by light sensitivity, which is actually something genetic that we can blame our parents for.

#3: Exercising
Working out can dry out your mouth and nose -- from hyperventilating -- and cause you to sneeze. So don't be surprised next time you sneeze when out for a run in the cold morning. Your nose is just trying to clear the nasal passage for some fresh air!

#4: Eyebrow maintence
Plucking stray hairs on your face may trigger a nerve that supplies your sneeze nerve, so watch out next time you're holding that tweezer close to your face -- you may sneeze!


#5: Heart monitoring
Have you heard people tell you that when you sneeze your heart stops? Well, it's just a myth. When we sneeze, the pressure in our chest changes, causing us to believe in such a myth when we pay attention to our sneezes!

#6: Speedy traveler
A single sneeze can travel as fast as 100 miles per hour. That means your body can send 100,000 germs at that speed. No wonder we can contract the flu so easily during flu season!

#7: World record
Usually when we sneeze, we don't think much about it beyond reaching for a tissue or using our elbow -- but one woman in England holds the world record for the longest consecutive sneeze that lasted nearly 3 years.

#8: Healthy sneeze
Sneezes occur when your body tries to protect itself. When something enters your nose or you encounter a trigger that sets off your "sneeze center" in your brain.

#9: How we sneeze
After your sneeze center in your brain is triggered, signals are rapidly sent to tightly close your throat, eyes, and mouth. Then your chest muscles contract and then your throat muscles relax. Then you sneeze!

#10: All in your head
Sneezing starts first in our brain, as it completely depends on a reaction from our nerves. So before anything physical, sneezing is triggered by something in our nerves.

#11: How many times
We often end up sneezing a few times in a row. Because sneezing occurs when something irritates our nose and the brain tells our body to get rid of it, it may take more than a single sneeze to push the stuff out.

#12: Time to reboot
New research shows that another reason why humans sneeze is likely that our bodies are trying to reboot. Like an electronic device reboots, our bodies find ways to refresh -- and sneezing is one of them.

#13: Sleeping
When we doze off, so do the nerves that are responsible for our sneezes. That said, you don't sneeze when you sleep! Now we wonder why there are cold medication out there that fight sneezing symptoms at night!

#14: How far can you go
The spray of a sneeze can travel as far as three feet, so be mindful the next time you sneeze at the mall. Always remember to cover your nose and mouth!

#15: Why so loud
Have you ever wondered why some people sneeze loudly and some rather quietly -- and cutely so? Well, the sound depends on how much air and how fast it's traveling through your nose, which causes the audible sneezing!