Posts Tagged ‘flu’
What Happens If You Sneeze With Your Eyes Open
It is quite common to see someone sneezing. Also referred to as sternutation, this semi-autonomous air expulsion happens when the nasal mucosa is irritated, usually by foreign particles that enter the nose or the mouth. Some of the possible factors that can trigger it include a viral infection, a full stomach or even sudden bright light exposure. There are many interesting topics surrounding this convulsive expulsion of lung air, one of them is about what will happen when someone sneezes while the eyes are open. Here is an interesting take on the topic.
The Outcome of Sneezing While the Eyes Are Open
What happens if you sneeze with your eyes open? There is a myth surrounding this topic, 
which states that when someone sneezes with the eyes open, the eyeballs will eventually fall out of their sockets. Of course, this is ridiculous because the eyes are actually attached to the head, which makes it impossible for them to fall out especially after doing just simple movements such as sneezing. The best possible answer to this question is that it would only hurt to sneeze while the eyes are open.
It is quite normal for the eyes to close when someone sneezes. Some scientific theories state that the eyes close when sneezing as protection from particles and microorganisms. Together with the thighs, the abdomen and the diaphragm, the muscles of the eyes contract as part of the body-wide reflexes when someone sneezes. As an involuntary act, sneezing is caused by irritants affecting the nasal lining. Once this happens, the nerves send message to the medulla, which is found at the brain’s lower part. After this, the brain responds by triggering a sneeze.
Additional Facts and Other Interesting Details
The fundamental purpose behind sneezing is to clean the nasal cavity by eliminating the mucus with irritants or foreign particles. When this happens, the back of the tongue goes up a little while the uvula and soft palate go down a bit. The tongue then blocks the mouth partially, which causes the expelled air from the lungs to go out the nose instead. Both the nose and the mouth expel air in the process.
A single sneeze produces approximately 40,000 droplets. It can aid the spread of disease via the droplets of infectious aerosol. When the sneezing is caused by the sudden exposure to bright light, it is technically referred to as photic sneeze reflex. When the cause of the sneezing is a full stomach, this medical disorder is actually called snatiation. Some of the ways to prevent sneezing include staying away from agricultural and industrial zones, installing humidifiers and other air filtration devices inside the house as well as keeping pets outdoors.