The Gross Science of Sneezing, Coughing, and Vomiting

Gluckstern, Rachel. The Gross Science of Sneezing, Coughing, and Vomiting. Part of the Way Gross Science series. 2019. 48p. ISBN 978-1-5081-8174-3. Available at 612.2 GLU on the library shelves.

The human body is a marvelous machine, carefully balancing many functions at once to ensure that everything works normally. But there are times where things stop working so well, and suddenly the body is sick, or is out of balance. Three of the grossest bodily functions we frequently encounter are sneezing, couching, and especially vomiting. Though these are unpleasant to witness, and even more annoying to experience, they all have the important purpose to make us feel better.

Sneezing helps remove foreign particles from the airways, allowing more oxygen to flow to the lungs. Even on normal days, the body produces over a liter of snot a day, and sneezing helps dislodging snot and other foreign objects that have accumulated inside the body. Coughing serves a similar function, loosening the lungs and projecting matter out. Wet cough generally moves mucus out of the lungs, while a dry cough is often related to environmental causes such as a dusty environment or asthma. Finally, vomiting is the body's way of removing bad or spoiled food from the gastro-intestinal track, though it can sometimes be related to motion sickness.

While we all suffer from these and experience unpleasant sensations, the purpose of sneezing, couching, and vomiting is the same: forcing something inside the body out. Full of information about these three gross bodily functions as well as instructions on how to take care of one's body, this book is a wonderful guide to learn more about how our body works!