YOUR AMAZING BODY

THERE are few things more frustrating than the damp squib of a failed sneeze.

It happens because there are two main phases to the reflex. The first is the sensitive phase, where something irritates the membranes of the nose and throat. This stimulates nerve impulses that start the second phase, involving a sharp intake of breath, eyes closing and the eventual sneeze.

Failed sneezes occur when irritants in the nasal lining reduce or the body becomes distracted, so the electrical signal that triggers the sneeze is lost in transit.