medical information
Sneezing
Sneezing is a natural reflex action intended to aid in the expelling of an irritant from the nasal passages. Nasal irritants commonly consist of dust or powders- pepper, for instance. The membranes lining the nasal passages can also be irritated by anything that causes them to swell. The two commonest causes of such swelling are (1) infection, such as the common cold, and (2) allergy sensitivity to some foreign material that enters the nostrils, as in hay fever.
Chilling of the skin, especially that of the lower extremities, can cause reflex congestion of blood in the nasal cavities, thus inducing sneezing.
