Natural Sneezasters

Every now and then, a sudden, violent event will occur, causing everyone to stop what they’re doing and take a look.

Sometimes it’s a powerful earthquake that seems to come out of nowhere, tearing apart the very fabric of the ground. Other times, a cosmic rock will smash into the earth’s surface, creating a massive explosion and shaking the surrounding area to its core.

These events are almost always unexpected, and there seems to be little or nothing we can do to stop them.

A sneeze is your body’s version of an event like this.

Here’s what happens: something irritates the lining of your nose.

The irritated cells in your nose send a signal to your brain.

Your brain then interprets the signals, and decides whether or not to trigger the sneeze reflex. When the reflex is triggered, your diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and intercostal muscles all contract forcefully, pushing air out of your lungs. Meanwhile, your throat and nasal passages open wide.

The result is a forceful blast of air that h…