Myth or reality: Sneezing is the process of expelling air from the lungs through the nose. Everyone sneezes, including animals. Some people sneeze loudly and explosively, while others look like they just exhaled forcefully.
But there’s one thing that’s common when sneezing: the eyes remain closed. Even when you try to open your eyes when you sneeze, they accidentally close. There are many superstitions and urban legends surrounding sneezing. The most common case is sneezing with your eyes open, causing them to fly out of your head. This is a common assumption that everyone must have heard at least once in their life.
There is no doubt that sneezing is a powerful phenomenon that can often cause the entire body to shake. But is it possible to sneeze with your eyes open and will it make your eyes pop out? Today, we challenge this belief. Check out whether the idea that you can’t sneeze with your eyes open is a myth or reality.
What is a sneeze and how strong is it?
Sneezing, or to put it scientifically, “sneeze,” is a protective mechanism of the human body, mainly triggered by a foreign particle entering the nasal cavity. This process is an automatic reflex that pushes air out of the lungs along with mucus to clean the nasal cavity and remove contaminants from the body. Allergies, sudden changes in temperature and pressure, cold weather and pollution are also common causes of sneezing.
A sneeze involves a powerful stream of air. Previous estimates put the sneeze speed at 200 mph. That speed is as fast as some bullet trains. However, in recent times, the force of a sneeze has been calculated to be much less than previously predicted. Some studies suggest speeds of no more than 10 mph, while others suggest that a sneeze can emit infectious particles at speeds of more than 100 mph. Whatever the case, the fact is that sneezing is an extremely powerful reflex that puts enormous pressure on your nasal cavity and face.
Why do your eyes close when you sneeze?
No one knows why the eyes automatically close when sneezing. Scientists believe this happens to protect the eyes from released contaminants. This can also occur due to involuntary muscle contractions of the face, as sneezing involves many muscles, including those around the eyes. So when they contract, the eyelids also close. But there is currently no correlation between the eye muscles and the muscles used during sneezing.
Can you sneeze with your eyes open?
Finally getting to the crux of the matter, Yes! May sneeze with eyes open. But more effort is needed, which doctors advise against. The eyelid muscle is one of the strongest and most sensitive muscles in the body, as you blink about 15-20 times a minute. Using them to keep the eyelids open during a strong involuntary reflex action such as a sneeze is a challenging task. But it is possible. Many YouTubers and researchers have accomplished this task by taping their eyelids to their forehead or holding them open with their hands while sneezing.
What happens if you sneeze with your eyes open?
There are many symptoms of sneezing while keeping your eyes open. The popular Discovery Channel show Mythbusters even dedicated an episode to it. In the end, it turns out that you can actually sneeze with your eyes open and nothing terrible will happen to your eyes. The orbital muscles are strong enough to hold them in place. And so far there have been no cases of eyes bulging out of the head due to sneezing.
However, there is a condition called ectropion, in which the eye gets out of place and bulges outward. The leading causes of eyeball misalignment are trauma and eyelid manipulation, but in extremely rare cases, it can also be caused by crying, blowing your nose, bending over, and sneezing. But these cases are so rare that the likelihood of them occurring is impossible.
In short
Therefore, the idea that you cannot sneeze with your eyes open is wrong. And your eyes won’t be able to leave your head if you try to do so. However, there is a rare possibility that your eyes may bulge slightly, but that can also happen without sneezing. Additionally, keeping the pollutants your body is expelling out is always a good idea! of body. So, close your eyes when sneezing.
Also read: Myth or reality: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
Also read: Myth or reality: Shaving helps hair grow faster and thicker
Also read: Myth or reality: Mobile phones cause brain cancer
Also read: Myth or reality: Green tea helps burn body fat and lose weight
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn