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Simple! Because the will passes. But, to understand why it happens, it is first necessary to know that sneezing is a defense mechanism of our nose against particles or substances that cause irritation in the nasal mucosa – in the same way that coughing is a defense mechanism of ours. lungs. Dust, pollen, animal hair, mites or volatile substances such as perfumes and cleaning products are some of the agents that cause sneezing. When these substances come into contact with the mucous membrane of the nose, they cause irritation and trigger a defense mechanism in the body to expel them. “By sneezing, we are sending them out of our body. But, sometimes, the sneeze goes away, because the need or the irritation goes away”, explains otorhinolaryngologist Manoel de Nóbrega, from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). Other times, that comes and goes until the sneeze happens or disappears for good – that’s because those who caused the sneeze have already been expelled.
Maximum speed
The sneeze shoots at over 160 km/h. And you don’t even see it, because the muscles in your face contract, making it impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.