
Sneezing is a powerful reflex that involves the contraction of many different muscles and muscle groups throughout the body. The sneeze reflex can be triggered by a number of things, including foreign particles, allergies, illness, and sudden exposure to bright light. During a sneeze, the chest muscles contract vigorously, the throat muscles relax, and air is forced from the nose and mouth at about 100 miles per hour. This powerful release of air and bioparticles can be attributed to the involvement of numerous organs and muscles in the upper body.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscles involved | Abdominal muscles, chest muscles, diaphragm, muscles that control vocal cords, eyelid muscles, muscles in the back of the throat, epipharyngeal, intrinsic laryngeal, respiratory muscles, rectus abdominis |
| Number of sneezes | It is normal to sneeze more than once |
| Speed of air | 100 miles per hour |
| Distance of spray | 5 feet |
| Cause | Foreign particles, allergies, illness, sudden exposure to bright light, sunlight, exercise, sex |
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What You'll Learn
- The sneeze reflex involves the contraction of several muscles and muscle groups throughout the body
- Sneezing involves the chest, throat, and face muscles
- Sneezing can be triggered by sunlight, exercise, and sex
- Sneezing involves the contraction of the rectus abdominis muscles
- Sneezing involves the muscles that control your vocal cords

The sneeze reflex involves the contraction of several muscles and muscle groups throughout the body
The sneeze reflex can be provoked by a number of things. It is normal to sneeze more than once, as particles trapped in your nasal passages are not all expelled on the first sneeze. It can take more than one attempt to get all the irritants out, which can lead to multiple sneezes in a row. A number of things can trigger a sneeze, including sunlight, exercise, and sex.
The changing pressure in your chest due to sneezing can also change your blood flow, which can change the rhythm of your heartbeat. Sneezing occurs when foreign particles or sufficient external stimulants pass through the nasal hairs to reach the nasal mucosa. This triggers the release of histamines, which irritate the nerve cells in the nose, resulting in signals being sent to the brain to initiate the sneeze through the trigeminal nerve network.
The brain then relates this initial signal, activates the pharyngeal and tracheal muscles, and creates a large opening of the nasal and oral cavities, resulting in a powerful release of air and bioparticles. Sneezing is characterised by explosive exhaling, causing strong concentric contraction of the rectus abdominis (RA) muscles and often sudden forward inclination of the trunk when in an upright posture.
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Sneezing involves the chest, throat, and face muscles
The sneeze reflex can be triggered by a number of things, including foreign particles, allergies, illness, or sudden exposure to bright light. When these irritants reach the nasal mucosa, they trigger the release of histamines, which irritate the nerve cells in the nose and send signals to the brain to initiate the sneeze.
The brain then activates the pharyngeal and tracheal muscles, creating a large opening of the nasal and oral cavities. This results in a powerful release of air and bioparticles, which can include particles from your nasal passages, as well as abdominal muscles, the diaphragm, the muscles that control your vocal cords, and the eyelid muscles.
Sneezing can also cause a sudden forward inclination of the trunk, increasing the lever arm from the centre of rotation of the lower back to the centre of mass in the upper body. This can lead to increased acceleration applied to the centre of gravity of the trunk.
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Sneezing can be triggered by sunlight, exercise, and sex
Sneezing is a powerful reflexive response involving the face, throat, and chest muscles. It can be triggered by a number of things, including sunlight, exercise, and sex.
Sunlight can trigger sneezing in up to one in four people. This is known as the photic sneeze reflex (PSR) or ACHOO (autosomal dominant compulsive helio-ophthalmic outbursts of sneezing) syndrome. It occurs when someone walks out of a dark building into the sunshine, causing sudden exposure to bright light.
Exercise can also induce sneezing. This is due to an allergic reaction to exercise, causing congestion, watery eyes, and sneezing. Scientists believe this may be linked to heightened neural activity in the part of the brain involved with blood flow to the nasal mucosa, increasing sensitivity to irritants.
Sneezing can also be triggered by sexual ideation or orgasm, although this phenomenon is under-reported.
The sneeze reflex involves the contraction of various muscles and muscle groups throughout the body. These include the abdominal muscles, chest muscles, diaphragm, muscles that control the vocal cords, eyelid muscles, and muscles in the back of the throat. The powerful release of air and bioparticles during a sneeze can travel up to 70 cm and reach speeds of 100 miles per hour.
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Sneezing involves the contraction of the rectus abdominis muscles
The sneeze reflex is triggered by foreign particles or external stimulants that pass through the nasal hairs to reach the nasal mucosa. This triggers the release of histamines, which irritate the nerve cells in the nose, resulting in signals being sent to the brain to initiate the sneeze through the trigeminal nerve network. The brain then relates this initial signal, activates the pharyngeal and tracheal muscles and creates a large opening of the nasal and oral cavities, resulting in a powerful release of air and bioparticles.
The powerful nature of a sneeze is due to its involvement of numerous organs of the upper body. It is a reflexive response involving the face, throat, and chest muscles. The changing pressure in the chest due to sneezing can also change your blood flow, which can change the rhythm of your heartbeat.
Sneezing typically occurs more than once, as particles trapped in your nasal passages are not all expelled on the first sneeze. It can take multiple attempts to get all the irritants out, leading to multiple sneezes in a row.
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Sneezing involves the muscles that control your vocal cords
When you sneeze, your chest muscles contract and your throat muscles relax, forcing air from your nose and mouth at about 100 miles per hour. This powerful release of air and bioparticles is caused by the involvement of numerous organs of the upper body. Sneezing is a reflexive response that can be triggered by foreign particles, allergies, or illness. It can also be triggered by sudden exposure to bright light, known as the photic sneeze reflex (PSR) or ACHOO syndrome.
The sneeze reflex can be provoked by a number of things, and it's normal to sneeze more than once. This is because particles trapped in your nasal passages are not always expelled on the first sneeze, and it can take multiple attempts to get all the irritants out. This can lead to multiple sneezes in a row.
The powerful nature of a sneeze is due to the involvement of many muscles and organs in the upper body. The forward inclination of the trunk when sneezing increases the lever arm from the centre of rotation of the lower back to the centre of mass in the upper body, increasing the load on the lower back muscles.
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Frequently asked questions
It takes a lot of muscles to sneeze.
Sneezing involves the contraction of the chest, throat, abdominal, diaphragm, eyelid, and vocal cord muscles.
The chest muscles contract vigorously, the throat muscles relax, and the abdominal muscles undergo strong concentric contraction.
The muscles involved in sneezing work together to expel foreign particles or irritants from the nasal passages.
Yes, it is possible to sneeze with your eyes open, despite the common suggestion that it is impossible.










































