Sneezing is something we all do, sometimes every day, for one reason or another. Sneezes can be triggered by many things that irritate the nasal mucosa or lining, including perfumes, dust, animal dander, hair spray, cleaning products, sun or bright light (the photic sneeze reflex), pollen, viral inflammation and even orgasms in individual cases.\nSneezes also figure prominently in cultural beliefs. In ancient Greece, sneezes were thought to be favorable signs from the gods. In the Middle Ages, however, sneezes were thought potentially fatal from the massive amount of air expelled during a sneeze. In East Asian countries, it is thought that when someone sneezes, someone else is talking about the sneezee at that very moment. Also, it is said that the one who sneezes can tell if the talk is good (one sneeze) or bad (two sneezes); multiple sneezes are thought to signify an impending cold.\nWhen the nasal mucosa senses an irritant, a reflex pathway is triggered. The mechanism of a sneeze involves particles passing through the nasal hairs and coming into direct contact with the mucosa. This contact triggers the release of histamine, a chemical compound that interacts with histamine receptors in the nose signaling the brain to initiate the sneeze response through the trigeminal nerve network and expel the irritant. Antihistamines - such as loratadine or Sudafed - work by blocking the histamine receptor and preventing the message to sneeze being sent to the brain, along with blocking the other immune responses to histamine binding (histamine has a huge role in body functioning and antihistamines do more than prevent sneezing).\nMost of the causes for sneezes are not contagious, but for those that are (i.e. viruses), sneezes are a great way to spread the illness. It is not simply a myth that the speed of a sneeze is comparable to hurricane force winds - particles expelled from sneezes can travel at speeds of 80 to 800 miles per hour (as a reference, Hurricane Katrina had wind speeds of 125 miles per hour when it made landfall in Louisiana) . At those speeds, the particles being expelled from the nose - which include viruses along with mucous, skin and whatever else - can travel quite far and land on unsuspecting individuals, infecting them with whatever disease is present. The amazing projectile capacity of a sneeze explains why it's so important to cover one's mouth and nose during the sneeze, especially during the upcoming cold and flu seasons. Additionally, even if no one is around at the time, it is important to remember that cold viruses are hardy and can survive for at least several hours on surfaces, being picked up later by someone who touches that surface. Fortunately, influenza is less adaptable and actually doesn't survive that well on fomites (inanimate objects capable of carrying infectious organisms) or hands for long periods of time (but the rhinovirus does - so wash your hands!) .\nWith the various causes for sneezes, most of them non-infectious, so how can you tell when you should immediately leave the scene of the sneeze for a Purell shower? The key is other symptoms. If the sneezee looks sick and miserable, is possibly shaky or otherwise looks feverish and/or is complaining of muscle aches, I recommend a thorough scrub down - but not until after you give him a glare for not covering his mouth and nose, of course. Otherwise, if the person looks generally healthy, you're probably in the clear.\nKatie McBeth is a University Medical student. She can be reached at k.mcbeth@cavalierdaily.com.
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