If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve probably sneezed recently. Perhaps you even read about the phenomenon of “Why does my body hurt when I sneeze?” in your local newspaper or a blog that posted it as a question of the day. Doing research on this topic might seem unusual, but many people (including those who write for popular media) find the phenomenon intriguing and worth exploring further. Because snot isn’t something we normally think about much, let alone why it hurts when we sneeze. In fact, some people have even asked if there’s something wrong with them because they hurt when they sneeze. This article will explore why your body hurts when you sneeze and what might be causing that pain or discomfort.
Why Does My Body Hurt When I Sneeze?
Snot
Snot is a slimy, waxy substance that is produced in the nose. It’s made up of a combination of mucus and blood cells. Snot can range from clear to pink to brown, depending on the color of your blood and the characteristics of your mucus. It also comes in different shapes and sizes, ranging from tiny pellets to long strings. In fact, it can even be shaped like grains of rice or peas!
Nasal Passageway
The nasal passage connects the nose with the mouth and is lined with mucous membranes that are moist (like fresh-squeezed lemon juice). The nasal passage also contains folds that are called turbinates that help keep the air flowing smoothly through the nasal passage so we don’t have any problems breathing through our noses.
Nasal Cavity & Sinuses
The nose has two parts: a large opening into the nasal cavity (the nostril) and smaller openings called nostrils. Inside each nostril is a smaller passage called a naris (which is Latin for “nose”). Each naris is lined with a structure called a turbinate. The turbinates are small bones that are shaped like a fan and help keep the air moving smoothly through the nose. Inside each naris is a small cavity called a sinus which is lined with mucous membranes (like in the rest of the nasal passage).
Nasal Passageway & Sinuses
The nasal passage connects the nose with the mouth and is lined with mucous membranes that are moist (like fresh-squeezed lemon juice). The nasal passage also contains folds that are called turbinates that help keep the air flowing smoothly through the nasal passage so we don’t have any problems breathing through our noses.
Nasal Cavity & Sinuses
The nose has two parts: a large opening into the nasal cavity (the nostril) and smaller openings called nostrils. Inside each nostril is a smaller passage called a naris that is lined with mucous membranes (like in the rest of the nasal passage). The turbinates are small bones that are shaped like a fan and help keep the air moving smoothly through the nose. Inside each naris is a small cavity called a sinus which is lined with mucous membranes (like in the rest of the nasal passage).
Why Does Sneezing Feel So Good?
The Sneeze Reflex
Sneezing is a reflex. It’s something our bodies do automatically and without thought or notice. In fact, we sneeze at any number of things, from loud noises to bright light, to even the scent of someone else’s perfume. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your nervous system is constantly sending signals to your brain telling it to sneeze when something triggers this involuntary response. And what causes these signals? Well, there are a number of things that can trigger this reflex in your body.
The Nasal Vestibule
The nasal vestibule is the space between your nose and the back of your throat where you can feel a tickling sensation. When you sneeze, this area is compressed during the process of inhaling and expanding during the act of expelling air from your lungs. This compression can cause a burning or stinging feeling in this sensitive area, which many people describe as feeling like they’ve been hit with a bee sting.
The Trigeminal Nerve
A trigeminal nerve is a group of nerves that run from the brainstem down through the face and send signals to your facial muscles. When you sneeze, this area is compressed and can cause pain in this part of your face. This pain may come from irritation or swelling in the part of the nasal cavity, but also may be due to inflammation or swelling in the tissues surrounding your nose or sinuses.
How To Relefe The Pain?
Try not to sneeze so often.
The best way to avoid pain when you sneeze is to not sneeze so often. If you keep your nose and mouth shut, you’ll avoid the pain that comes from the compression of the nasal membranes during a sneeze or when you blow out air after a sneeze. This will also lessen the amount of snot that’s expelled from your nose, which can cause great discomfort for some people.
Use an eye cup or a tissue to prevent irritation and swelling in your nasal cavity while you’re sleeping or resting.
If you want to prevent pain and discomfort in your nasal cavity while it’s at rest, then use an eye cup or tissue while sleeping or resting on your side (rather than on your back). This will help minimize pressure in this area as it’s at rest rather than when it’s active during normal activities such as talking, breathing through your nose without obstruction (like if there’s something in it), or if you’re sleeping on your back with a pillow under your head.
Have someone massage the back of your neck during times when there are no symptoms but still may be feeling discomfort because of this reflexive response in order for it to decrease over time.
The best way to decrease the amount of pain that occurs by itself when we sneeze is to have someone massage the back of our neck while we’re not experiencing any symptoms so that this reflexive response decreases over time. This is a common-sense approach that goes along with the first two suggestions we’ve made, which are to try not to sneeze so often and to use an eye cup or tissue when sleeping or resting.
Use a humidifier or saline nasal spray to help minimize irritation in your nasal cavity.
The best way to minimize pain and discomfort in your nasal cavity when it’s at rest because of the last suggestion is to use a humidifier or saline nasal spray while you’re sleeping or resting on your side rather than on your back. This will help reduce any inflammation, swelling, and irritation of the tissues surrounding your nose and sinuses that may be causing pain if you sneeze without using an eye cup or tissue while sleeping or resting on your side rather than lying down on your back with a pillow under your head (which is how we normally sleep).
Use an eye cup/tissue combo for best results.
If you want to reduce pain during sneezes and also prevent irritation in the tissues surrounding your nose, then use an eye cup/tissue combo for best results. You can get these from most local pharmacies for about $3-4 each (depending on where you live). These are small plastic cups that are used over both eyes during sleep or rest to prevent irritation from the pressure on the tissues surrounding the nose while it’s at rest.
Conclusion
The next time you start to sneeze before you think something is wrong with you, try to relax and apply pressure to the areas where you feel pain. You can also try to make some minor adjustments to your sneezing technique to help prevent some of the pressure-related pain associated with sneezing. In most cases, if you feel pain while sneezing, it’s likely due to the pressure being applied to your soft tissues and nerves. However, it’s important to remember that everyone experiences pain differently. There are also different types of pain that could be caused by a variety of factors. That’s why it’s important to identify which type of pain you’re experiencing so you can take the appropriate action to treat it.
