AHHHH-CHOOO!!! It’s the allergy season and the sneezing has started. Not only that, now your back hurts… what’s happening?
Sneezing is caused by irritation to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat. It can be very bothersome but is rarely a sign of anything serious.
Seizing occurs due to a variety of reasons:
- Allergy to pollen, mould, dust (hay fever)
- Inhaling corticosteroids (From certain nose sprays)
- Common cold or flu
- Triggers such as dust, pollution, dry air, spicy foods, strong emotions, medication, and fragrances
Sneezing is away for the body to get rid of unwanted irritants. One trigger for sneezing is when something in the nurse tickles. This informs the part of the brain that controls sneezing that something must be expelled from the nerves. The brain then sends messages to different muscle groups, causing many of the muscles in the body to become active in the sneezing process.
A strenuous sneezing attack can leave you with back spasms and pain and can even cause injury. Vigorous sneezing not only racks your entire body, but the pressure can be so intense it may actually cause a weekend spinal disc to herniate. Sneezing can cause a sprain to a ligament in the back or strain and intercostal muscle, which is a small muscle between the ribs. This can lead to a great deal of discomfort. Sneezing can also aggravate pre-existing injuries, trigger muscle spasms and aggravate pinched nerves. Little wonder when you consider that scientists estimate the speed of his knees at over 1000 kilometres per hour – roughly 85% of the speed of sound!
So, given sneezing is part of life, especially during allergy season, what can you do to protect yourself from the nastier side effects? When you feel a sneeze coming on, tighten your abdominal muscles as hard as you can, pulling everything up, in and backwards towards your spine and also bend your knees. This will help break your spine against the force of this needs. In addition, don’t try to stifle the sneeze as this will simply increase the internal pressure in your body. Go for gold and let it out… just don’t forget to cover your mouth!
