system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do i have to cough when i'm cleaning my ears?
gpt
Its because the two areas associated with the sensations are so so close together in the brain that ower-sensation can trigger the other. It will take a few seconds of cleaning before the cough is stimulated. Not everybody has this, but another common example is people sneezing when the pluck their eyebrows. The area associated with the pain sensation of hair plucking is right next to the sneezing mechanism, and so it sometimes triggers a sneeze!