6 Why Do I Sneeze

WHY DO I SNEEZE? WHY DO I?

Got snot! Whether you are six or ninety-six, everyone gets snot. Everyone sneezes, too. But why? ACHOO! A sticky slime inside your nose, called mucus, protects you when you breathe. Mucus catches anything harmful in the air before you breathe it in. You might know mucus better as snot!

Take a Deep Breath In People breathe air to survive. Air contains a gas called oxygen, which our bodies need to survive. Air can be dirty and full of dust, pollen, and germs that could make us sick. Dust and smoke make the air dirty. Mucus is very important to your health. It traps inside your nose anything that might harm your lungs. Lungs are body parts that take in the air you breathe. Snot is like a net that catches all the dirt!

How You Breathe Nose and mouth You breathe in air through your nose and mouth. Mucus Mucus is made by body parts in the mouth, nose, windpipe, and lungs. Mucus in the nose catches any dirt carried by the air you breathe. NOSE MOUTH MUCUS MAKERS Windpipe Air passes through a long tube, called the windpipe, into the lungs. Mucus and little hairs in the windpipe trap any leftover dirt. Lungs Your lungs breathe in fresh air and breathe out used air. WINDPIPE The windpipe joins to the lungs. You have two lungs. LUNGS

KEEPING OUT GUNK STEP 1: Mucus in your nose catches things such as pollen and dirt when you breathe in. STEP 2: Mucus and hairs in your windpipe trap more pollen and dirt as air travels down. to your lungs. STEP 3: Air that reaches your lungs has been cleaned of most harmful materials. NOSE MOUTH WINDPIPE LUNGS

Blow Your Nose Most of the nasty things you breathe in get trapped in your snot. But, how does your body get rid of it? Sometimes you swallow mucus, and a strong acid in your stomach destroys it. Other times mucus runs out of your nose or dries into hard pieces. Blowing your nose usually gets rid of this mucus. Blow your nose into a tissue!