Sneezing is one of the many defensive mechanisms of the human body, specifically useful against infectious or irritating agents that come into contact with the upper airways.
The sneeze is a nasal nervous reflex and, like all reflexes, it represents an automatic and involuntary response of the organism to a specific stimulus.
In fact, there are specific receptors in the nasal cavities, palate and pharynx that can detect the presence of potential threats, such as dust, pollen or small foreign bodies. These receptors, when stimulated beyond a certain threshold, send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain through the trigeminal nerve. These brain areas process the received nerve signals and organize a response by coordinating all the muscle activities that give life to the sneeze.
The sneeze consists of a violent and sudden exhalation preceded by one or more inspirations of ever greater depth, which have the purpose of storing a large reserve of air in the lungs.
The ultimate goal of the sneeze is the expulsion of the cause that gave rise to the irritation of the nasal mucosa, through the emission of air and fluids.
