The very gross, very important reason we sneeze
WORD HUNT
In the article, find:
WORD HUNT
In the article, find:
If you’re a human (and not, say, a butterfly), there’s a good chance you’ve already done this today. In fact, it’s normal to do it up to three times a day.
You’ve felt a tickle in your nose, quickly closed your eyes, and—ACHOO! You’ve expired a giant cloud of spit and snot out of your nose and mouth.
That’s right, we’re talking about sneezing!
If you’re a human, you’ve probably already done this today. In fact, it’s normal to do it up to three times a day.
You’ve felt a tickle in your nose. You’ve closed your eyes. And ACHOO! You just expired a cloud of spit and snot out of your nose and mouth.
That’s right. We’re talking about sneezing!
Nose Blasts
Sneezing happens when you inhale unwanted bits like dust, dirt, or germs through your nose. (True story: Sunlight can also bring on sneezing.) The spit and snot exhaled out of your nostrils contain those unwanted bits, so your body can stay clean and healthy.
But sneezing can also spread illness. When a person is sick and sneezes, they can spray germs around—up to 26 feet away! If you touch or sniff the sneeze cloud, you could catch whatever they have.
That’s why it’s important to sneeze into a tissue or the crook of your arm. Bless you!
Sneezing happens when you inhale unwanted bits, like dust or germs, through your nose. (Sunlight can also bring on sneezing.) The spit and snot exhaled out of your nose contain those unwanted bits. So sneezing helps your body stay clean and healthy.
But sneezing can also spread illness. If a sick person sneezes, they can spray germs around. The spray can go far—up to 26 feet! If you touch or sniff the sneeze cloud, you could catch whatever they have.
That’s why it’s important to sneeze into a tissue or the crook of your arm. Bless you!
Not everyone says “Bless you!” when someone sneezes. In China, you might hear, “May you live 100 years!” In Colombia and other countries, people simply say “Health!”
Not everyone says “Bless you!” when someone sneezes. In China, you might hear, “May you live 100 years!” In Colombia and other countries, people simply say “Health!”
Wild Sneezes
TUI DE ROY/MINDEN PICTURES
Marine iguana
Humans aren’t the only animals that sneeze.
In fact, most land animals—except for insects—do it. And you’ll see more than just snot expelled in the wild. Take marine iguanas. These big lizards feed in the sea and swallow a lot of salt water. To get rid of the extra salt, they sneeze it out.
Then there are babies. Human babies, that is. Because their mouths and noses are joined together, babies sometimes sneeze out food while they’re eating.
That’s a fun fact you can share with your family around the dinner table tonight. And if they laugh? Just tell them: It’s nothing to sneeze at!
Humans aren’t the only animals that sneeze. In fact, most land animals do it. And you might see more than snot expelled in the wild. Marine iguanas are big lizards. These lizards feed in the sea and swallow a lot of salt water while eating. They need to get rid of the extra salt. So they sneeze it out.
Then there are human babies. Their mouths and noses are joined together. This causes babies to sometimes sneeze out food while eating.
That’s a fun fact you can share with your family at dinner tonight. And if they laugh? Just tell them: It’s nothing to sneeze at.
PARAGRAPH POWER!
Write a paragraph explaining why sneezing is important.
PARAGRAPH POWER!
Write a paragraph explaining why sneezing is important.
This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue.
This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue.
