It is almost systematic: when a sneeze takes us, we close our eyes, a team of American researchers is trying to explain why this human body reflex occurs.
©
In reality, closing your eyes during a sneeze is not systematic, it is possible to keep your eyes open as stated by Dr. David Huston, Texas A & M College of Medicine professor in Houston and allergist, "The fact that it is possible to sneeze with open eyes suggests that it is not" wired "or compulsory," he said in a statement, "Blinking during sneezing is not entirely clear, but probably plays a protective role."
Sneezing protects the passage of foreign particles in our nasal passages by forcing a passage of air from our lungs at about 16 km / h (previously it was estimated to be about 160 km / h, but a study published in 2013 Review Plos One has largely revised down the speed of sneezing).
But sneezing involves more than the mere expulsion of air and foreign particles, when stimulated, cerebral commands for sneezing cause muscle contractions to the esophagus or the sphincter, this includes the muscles controlling the eyelids and some even have a sneeze accompanied by a few tears.
"Maybe some people sneeze and shut their eyes to prevent the particles from getting into the eyes," suggests David Huston. "By automatically closing the eyelids by sneezing, the most irritating particles can potentially be blocked and this prevents the eyes from getting worse."
You can always try to sneeze with your eyes open, an old popular belief evokes eyeballs likely to come out, but the "pressure released during a sneeze is extremely unlikely to cause an eyeball to come out, even if your eyes are open," says the allergist. The only "risk" is to break some capillaries, these small blood vessels visible in the eyes.