Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: sneeze + 0.19 + itching  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

Summer Allergies Nothing to Sneeze At KFYR-TV, ND - Flowers, shrubs, and animals are all common outdoor things in the summer. But for many people, they can cause an undesirable reaction. ... The Star-Ledger - NJ.com Nothing to sneeze at: Wyndham looks to lure travelers with allergies The Star-Ledger - NJ.com, NJ - by The Star-Ledger Business Desk Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is starting a "CleanAir" campaign to designate 10 percent of its rooms as allergy-free zones by ... Editorial: It's nothing to sneeze at Salisbury Post, NC - Aug 6, 2008 When Freightliner sneezes, to paraphrase a saying once applied to General Motors and its role in the US economy, Rowan County catches a cold. ... Get Ready to Itch and Sneeze Newsweek - Aug 2, 2008 His findings regarding ragweed, an invasive plant whose pollen is the leading trigger of fall hay fever, are nothing to sneeze at. ... Tim Vine: Punslinger's quick-fire humour Metro, UK - ... softened his act a little by introducing a few jokey song-and-dance numbers, including a Will Young parody called Think I'm Going To Sneeze Right Now. ... It's Sunny Somewhere National Review Online Blogs, NY - This time, though, the US sneeze seems to be passing Canada by. I noticed one sign of the times walking through downtown Toronto today: the local Subways ... Andy Murray's smog about Beijing Mirror.co.uk, UK - Aug 6, 2008 Told a human sneeze can travel at 100mph, he replied: "Who can sneeze for that long?" Murray is just 8-1 to win Olympic gold, which smacks of Beijingoism. ... Rock snot is nothing to sneeze at Catskill Daily Mail, NY - Aug 2, 2008 By Dick Nelson After announcing the presence of the invasive algae didymo (Didymosphenia geminata) in the West Branch of the Delaware River downstream from ... Who's REALLY to blame for the Brett Favre 'saga' ??? FanIQ, CA - Aug 5, 2008 Wait, we're getting conflicting reports - was it a sneeze, perhaps just a cough, or did Brett make a rude gesture to the front office ? ... 'Sneeze attack' doesn't wash The Ashburton Guardian, New Zealand - Jul 31, 2008 A southbound driver held a sneezing attack responsible for a pile-up on the Rangitata Bridge in April. But his excuse held no weight with Justices of the ...

Why do we sneeze, itch and cough?

They may be irritating and annoying, but often we just can't help ourselves from laughing, sneezing, itching, coughing and crying. Here we look at the reasons for the functions which are part and parcel of our everyday lives.

Sneezing: Sneezing is the body's way of eliminating irritants or a foreign body from the nasal passages.

In general, people sneeze for four reasons. First, when they have a cold, to help clear their nose. Second, when they have allergic rhinitis (hay fever), to eliminate allergens from nasal passages. Third, people with vasomotor rhinitis, a condition characterised by chronic runny nose, also sneeze occasionally.

The fourth common cause of sneezing is NARES (no allergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome). People with this condition have the symptoms of chronic rhinitis but do not test positive for allergens.

Coughing: Although it is usually unwelcome and involuntary, a cough in itself is not an illness. It may be irritating but, generally, it is a protective reflex.

The reflex kicks in when the membranes that line the respiratory tract secrete excessive mucus or phlegm.

This helps to protect your airways from infections and irritants by trapping and flushing out viruses, bacteria and foreign particles.

Itching: Itching is a sensation, an interpretation of something going on in the skin. Nerves in the skin send signals to the brain in reaction to physical or chemical stimuli.

The often urgent desire to make the itch go away leads to our scratching. This can bring intense pleasure but can often be the worst thing you can do, particularly if the itch represents a symptom of something more serious.

Finally, itching may be primarily psychological, caused by anxiety, nervousness, tension or worry.

Laughing: When we laugh, we muscles relax throughout our body. People laugh not only when they feel good but also in uncomfortable situations.

Some schizophrenics suffer from bouts of pathological laughter and often report that it is accompanied by a feeling of urgent danger.

Whether laughter if good for our health continues to be debated. But the ability to laugh, relax and form connections with others improves our psychological wellbeing.

Crying: Crying is characterised by the production of tears - drops of fluid secreted by the lachrymal gland which appear from the eyes as a result of emotion.

Basal tears lubricate and have a different chemical make up to emotional tears. Irritant tears are similar to basal tears, so an onion will produce tears like lubricating tears. But emotional tears have more of certain salts and a higher concentration of hormones.

Some doctors see tears as a way for the body to get rid of noxious waste products. People without hope do not cry, and the most depressed are tearless, so tears are positive.