Hash! It's high season for colds again. The nose swells up, the throat hurts and sneezing fits announce themselves. But can you suppress sneezing or is it really dangerous? We have made ourselves clever!
You're sitting in a meeting, at the movies, or eating at a restaurant. Often it can be quite unpleasant to sneeze. You also don't want to throw your germs all over the place and try to suppress the sneezing.
Surely you have heard many times that suppressing sneezing can be dangerous.
But is that really true, or is it all just nonsense?
Around 40,000 particles fly out of the nose at a speed of at least 150 kilometers per hour when you sneeze. Pretty disgusting, isn't it? No wonder many people hold their nose when they sneeze.
We'll tell you here whether you really have to reckon with consequences.
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Why you sneeze
We all have to sneeze from time to time. It is a natural protective reflex of our body. If a foreign body enters the airways, the body tries to get rid of the intruders by sneezing.
So sneezing is nothing but a loud attempt of the body to get rid of viruses, bacteria, dust or anything else.
And off you go: as if remote-controlled, you take a deep breath, close your vocal folds, and push a powerful blast of air through your nose with all the strength of your chest muscles.
The pressure is comparable to the pressure load on the heart of a hypertensive patient, which contracts to the maximum.
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People sneeze particularly often when they have colds or allergies. But there are many other factors that trigger sneezing.
You know when you look at the light and sneeze? Or when you pluck your eyebrows? For example, I always have to sneeze when I apply mascara :)
Why this is so, however, has not yet been clarified. It is suspected that there is a connection between the eye reflex and the sneezing center.
Pollutants such as fumes, cigarettes, fine particles such as dust or mold, or air that is too cold also promote sneezing attacks.
Most of the time we sneeze not only 1x, but 3x or even more often. Sometimes one sneeze is simply not enough to clear the airways.
The first sneeze ensures that the foreign body is released from the nasal mucosa. The second time it got to the tip of the nose and the third sneeze we get it out.
But why do we sometimes sneeze only 1x? It's simple: The foreign body is not located so deep and is already transported out with an intensive sneeze.
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Why suppressing sneezing is unhealthy
Some people hold their nose when sneezing or even close their mouth at the same time. The built-up pressure cannot escape.
Although in most cases nothing happens when you suppress a sneeze, you can still promote injuries by doing so.
Because by suppressing, the air is forced into other areas of the body.
The result can be a ruptured eardrum, hearing loss, a brain hemorrhage, or even a rupture of the throat.
Also the viruses, bacilli, bacteria or other foreign bodies cannot escape and remain in the body. And this despite the fact that our body wants to get rid of them.
Even if the worst case does not always have to happen: Forewarned is forearmed!
Therefore, you should in no case hold your nose when sneezing and still close your mouth at the same time. Rather snort once into the crowd and reap a hearty "Gesundheit" for it :)
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How correct sneezing works
Sneezing is important. This is because it serves to remove dust, dirt particles and, in the case of infections, the annoying pathogens from the nose.
It is always good to have a handkerchief at hand so that you don't become a germ slingshot and infect other people.
You can quickly hold it in front of your mouth and nose without transmitting your bacteria to others. In addition, the handkerchief acts as a silencer. So the sneezing is not too unpleasant.
Do not use tissues more than once. This way you get the viruses and bacteria on your hands and spread them again. So: sneeze, blow your nose, throw away the handkerchief and wash your hands.
If you only hold your hands out when you sneeze, be sure to wash them afterwards. This prevents the risk of infection. Germs are often transmitted via the hands. It is best not to shake hands until you are fit again.
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If necessary, you can also sneeze into the crook of your arm. This reduces the concentration of bacteria and viruses that you could pass on through your hands. The clothes end up in the washing machine in the evening and you are soon rid of the cold.
But just don't try to suppress your sneeze.
To prevent sneezing, you can press or rub the tip of your nose lightly with a finger. The stimulus of movement is then somewhat stronger than the sneezing stimulus and distracts. It often helps if you rub the roof of your mouth with your tongue. This also prevents the sneezing stimulus.
These variants are not as dangerous as holding the nose. Besides, they only delay sneezing, instead of driving it away.
Nevertheless, what has to come out, should come out!
Our conclusion
Especially in the cold season, people sniffle and sneeze. Even though it can be unpleasant at times, you should not suppress sneezing. A sneeze cleanses the respiratory tract and also gets rid of pathogens. Always have a handkerchief ready or hold your hand out.
Health.
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