AJ from Canada had a burning question for the scientists at SickKids:

Q: "What is the purpose of a sneeze?"

Here is the answer from Dr. Neil Sweezey, a Senior Scientist in Physiology and Experimental Medicine at the SickKids Research Institute, Staff Respirologist in Respiratory Medicine at SickKids and Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.

A: “A sneeze is a strong blast of air that tries to push any irritating things out of your nose. If your nose is runny, such as when you have a cold, the sneeze will spray little droplets all around you. These droplets could make other people sick unless you stop them. This is why you should cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze, using a tissue if you have one, or by sneezing into your sleeve or elbow if you don’t. You don’t want to sneeze onto your hands, because you spread the droplets around when you touch other people or things.”

Have you ever had a burning question about your body or about your health and didn’t know how to find the answer? This might just be the opportunity to get to the bottom of it!

You have the chance to submit your question and it will be answered by a scientist at SickKids who specializes in that area. The best questions and answers will be featured on the Research Institute website.

Check the website often to see if your question gets posted. You can learn about what others want to know and if you read enough answers, you may even become a health expert yourself!