Thursday, April 16, 2009

Are You Photic Sneezer?

Wonder why i get an unpleasant prickling in my nose, uncontrollable watering of my eyes and a quickening of breath when a bright shaft of sunlight smack between my eyes. A sneeze came as soon after the sensation, blessed relief! Most of us are similarly afflicted as "photic sneeze reflex" is actually common. Sunlight is the most widespread, but its the odd stimulus that sets off sneezing too, Just like how we grope for handkerchief after drinking a glass of wine. There are some oddities where people sneeze whenever they had a full stomach, this phenomenon called " snatiation". And there was a case where people sneezed clockwork precision everyday! A sneeze, should be triggered by an irritant of mucus-producing membrane of our nostrils. This stimulates the nerves, which mediates input from all over our face. Results in a cascade of reactions throughout the body, which involve: mucus production in nose, momentary closing of our eyes, a wave of impulse sent to generate an explosive air with high speed, and here comes "gales of hurricane force"!

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