Why do we sneeze?
The Nose Cannon
Why do we sneeze?
You're sitting in class, minding your own business, when suddenly your nose feels like it's about to explode. Your eyes squeeze shut, your chest fills with air, and — ACHOO! — you sneeze so hard your whole body jerks. What just happened? Why does your body do this weird, violent thing?
Your nose is basically a bouncer for your lungs. Every breath you take goes through your nose first, where tiny hairs and sticky mucus catch dust, pollen, and germs before they can get deeper inside you. Most of the time, this system works quietly in the background. But sometimes, something irritating — a speck of pepper, a puff of pollen, a rogue dust mite — lands on the delicate skin inside your nose and refuses to leave politely.
