Sternutation, commonly known as sneezing, refers to both the sound and act of sneezing. This occurs when air is forcefully expelled from the nose (and possibly the mouth, if open) due to an involuntary contraction of the chest muscles. Sneezing is typically prompted by irritation of the nasal membrane, though it can also be triggered by a sudden exposure to bright light. The term "sternutation" was first recorded in a 16th-century English midwifery text, which mentioned infants experiencing frequent "sternutation and sneesynge." In French, the act of sneezing is called "éternuer," a term that shares its origins with sternutation, both deriving from the Latin "sternutare," which itself comes from "sterno," meaning to stretch out, scatter, or spread. For more information, see related topics.