A S

neeze Is Com

ing On

Springboard 6

Have you ever wondered why you sneeze? Are you curious about what is happening in your nose when you sneeze? Read this information report to learn about the chain reaction in your body that causes a sneeze. Learn how sneezing can protect you from harm.

Other Information Reports (Cause/Effect) in Springboard 6:

Bushfires! The Piece of Paper Path

A Sneeze Is Coming On

Written by Nicole Ward

A Sneeze Is Coming On

Introduction .......................................4

Why Do People Sneeze? ...................7

What Is Happening

in Your Nose? .............................. 10

The Nervous System ........................ 14

Allergic Reactions ........................... 18

Other Causes of Sneezing................28

Avoiding a Sneeze ...........................34

Glossary ...........................................39

Index ................................................40

Contents

A Sneeze Is Coming On

Written by Nicole Ward Cover image of a girl about to sneezePhotography by Corbis/Tranz (p31, p38); Getty Images (Adam Barnes p1; Altrendo p5, p8, p9 second from bottom, pp18–19; Michael Najjar p9 second from top; Debra & Charles LaCoppola & Meier p9 bottom; Visuals Unlimited p10; Westmorland p13; Roger Ressmeyer p23; David Burder p26; 3D4Medical p29); Photolibrary (cover, pp6–7, p12, p21, p27, p33, p36); AAP/AP (p25); Stockbyte (p9 middle, p34); Artville (p20); Photodisc (p9 top, p22, p35, p37); Corbis (p30)

© 2007 Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

While every care has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyright, the publishers tender their apologies for any accidental infringement where copyright has proved untraceable.

Published byMacmillan Education Australia Pty LtdLevel 1, 15–19 Claremont Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141www.macmillan.com.au

Edited by Adrian BellDesigned by Andrew AguilarPrinted in Hong Kong 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 978-1-4202-6200-1

For teachers'

inspection ONLY

Sneezing actually involves several different parts of the body.

Introduction

It always happens when you do not want it to. You get a distant, tickling feeling in the back of your nose. Then the feeling starts to grow, getting worse and worse until your eyes start to water. You know what is coming but there is nothing you can do to stop it. The feeling takes over your whole face. You take a big breath, your muscles tighten, and then…achoo! You explode in a sneeze. Now there is a tingling sensation and you hope that there will be no more. But no – here comes another sneeze. You wonder why this is happening to you as your eyes begin to water again.

In this book you will learn the whys and whats of sneezing. Why do you sneeze, what makes you sneeze, and what actually happens when you sneeze? You will learn about your network of nerves, and how it uses different parts of your body to make you sneeze.

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For teachers'

inspection ONLY

When you sneeze, droplets fly out of your mouth as your body tries to get rid of something that should not be there.

Why Do People Sneeze?

You sneeze because your body has found something in your nose that it needs to expel. If you have just sneezed, something has probably irritated the lining of the nasal passages inside your nose.

The technical term for sneezing is “sternutation.” Sternutation is your body’s way of protecting itself from harmful material in the air, or irritants, that you have breathed in. Your body does not want this material to reach your lungs. Irritants in your nose include things such as dust, dirt, and pollen. Sometimes your body mistakes strong odours, temperature changes, and even bright light for irritants, and tries to defend itself with a sneeze. As well as irritants, sneezing expels harmful germs – bacteria and viruses that are making you sick.

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For teachers'

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Most people cannot keep their eyes open when they sneeze, even if they try.

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Sneezing is an action that your body takes by itself, and that you do not control. This kind of action is called a reflex. You do it without thinking, and it happens whether you want it to or not. Have you ever noticed that you close your eyes when you sneeze? This is also a reflex. You have no control over your eyes when you sneeze. The muscles that control your eyelids tighten and you close your eyes. Many people believe that the purpose of this reflex is to stop your eyeballs popping out of your head when you sneeze. But this is not true; people who do not have the reflex sneeze with their eyes open, and they still have their eyeballs. In fact, no one is sure why the eyes close when a person sneezes.

Some Common Reflex Actions

blinking

gag reflex

goose bumps

mouth watering

pupil contraction

sneezing

slowing down of heart when face underwater

yawning

For teachers'

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