Unit 152 Why Do We Sneeze?
G : A sneeze is a very interesting thing.
We use many different muscles when we sneeze. These include stomach muscles, throat muscles, and eye muscles. Remember, our eyes always close during a sneeze. A sneeze begins when something gets inside your nose, like a tiny particle of dust. Your nose sends a message to your brain. Your brain sends messages to the muscles, getting them to work together in the correct order. When you sneeze, the dust that was in your nose flies out as fast as 100 miles an hour! Usually something like dust or cold air makes us sneeze, but some people sneeze whenever they look at the sun. Some people think that your heart stops when you sneeze. Actually, it really doesn't, but sometimes it might feel like it does. After someone sneezes, people often say “Bless you,” or “God bless you.” To bless someone means to wish them good and special things. Why do people say this? Long ago, people believed that this saying kept bad things from flying down your throat. Another story is that people thought this saying would help keep the person who sneezed from getting a very serious disease called the plague. At that time, the plague was killing thousands of people. It was thought that saying “God bless you” would protect people from getting this awful disease. Today, the saying is simply a nice way to wish someone well.
