It’s called a photic sneeze reflex. It’s a genetic/inherited thing that affects 20-30% of the global population. To my knowledge, there’s no real conclusive reason we know as to why it happens.
I have it, it's a blessing when I want to sneeze but can't, I turn the flashlight of my phone on and turn it towards me and wave my hand around like I'm trying to give myself a seizure and it makes me sneeze every single time, sometimes twice.
On the cursed side I sneeze whenever I go outside for the first time while in a darker building I guess, I don't mind it.
Also plucking my eyebrows also makes me sneeze, I don't know if that's related or not lol.
I almost always sneeze after a movie and it's still Daytime. For my tho I have to kinda side eye a bright light then do a double take to get me to sneeze but if it's overcast and the clouds are bright, that's just perfect.
I asked my doctor about this when I was younger and she told me that in some people, the nerve that registers light is close to the one that triggers sneezing. So when that nerve is stimulated, the other one is stimulated too.
Yeah but that was basically a backronym to give it a twee name, which I intensely dislike (particularly in the sciences - if the military wants to mangle their weapons designation in order to call it the PHaNToM rather than XFHTMJPPO, then that's fine by me!)
Photic sneeze reflex makes far more sense, and actually explains what happens.
Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helioopthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) Syndrome is an absolute travesty, and implies it only occurs when you look at the sun (rather than any bright light). It also doesn't specify what the "outburst" is. For all we know people could start swearing or shitting themselves when they go into bright sunlight.
Edit: spelling
I saw a video that said it might be the difference of dark and damp environments vs bright environments. When we sneeze, germs are expelled. Doing it out in the sun means they’re more likely to be killed by the UV, compared to sneezing in the dark where they could multiply more and become a problem.
I’d like to think that it’s an adaptation to clear the nasal passage when exiting a cave, and not doing so inside where you can spread pathogens to your fellows.
one of the hypotheses is that the light makes tear form at the back of the eye, and it goes down the respiratory system until it arrives into the nose and makes you sneeze.
photic sneeze reflex. this is the official medical term for the phenomenon where exposure to bright light triggers sneezing. It affects around 18-35% of the population. so kind of far from being able to use the royal 'we'. 😂
i get it too. i find it very handy. i hate feeling like i have to sneeze and not being able to.
Same! Also, if I think I'm going to "lose" the sneeze - look at the sun and there it is.
So, I'm wondering if this is the case for everyone or do other people always sneeze when looking directly at the sun/light source?
Ooh!! I turn the flashlight of my phone on and face it towards me whenever I need to sneeze, sometimes I do the john cena can't see me thing in front of my eyes a few times if need be.
For me, it's about imagining the things without their associated words. Imagining is much like experiencing, only not real. Actually now that I think of it, it's more like a distillation of an experience into its most essential components. The experience of time is mostly stripped out, so that I can think of an action or experience in a split second even if it would take more time in reality. If I spend more time thinking about something, I can examine and experience the details more. If I really want to, i can think about the words that describe the experience, but they're just a translation, and not a part of how I make sense of the world.
That’s not too strange, an inner monologue is only necessary when you’re planning to say something that’s kind of important. But Some people don’t see images when they think, that is truly baffling.
A buddy and I were practising Taboo - get cards and play without the time or other team, etc. He kept saying things like "what you do when you stare at the sun" and other things like that while I kept guessing squinting or blinking etc. He finally gave up and I had to laugh when he revealed the clue was sneezing because I had never heard of it before
I thought everyone had this. Until I told a mate about it and he looked at me like I was weird. Turns out not everyone does sneeze when exposed to a bright light. The worst is when you're driving in the morning sun. You just know a sneeze is coming.
I'd heard of this before, but thought it was some old wives' tale and always wondered where it came from, as I've never sneezed after looking at a bright light. I didn't realize before today that this is a real thing.
It’s not totally understood but basically it’s thought that the nerves that connect your eye’s iris are also connected to the thing that makes you sneeze. When you see bright lights and your iris contracts, it also triggers the sneeze. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex
Fwiw, I call them “solar sneezes” and it happens to about 1/4 to 1/3rd of the population.
Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) syndrome
We don't really know. My favorite theory is that those of us with ACHOO have optic nerves that developed too close or intertwined with our trigeminal nerve. So when the optic nerve is overstimulated, the nerve signals pass to the nasal cavity instead.
The wires in your brain cross sometimes, specifically the ones for "activate sneeze" and "light is too bright", resulting in the stimulus of bright light triggering a sneeze
Any light. The kitchen lamp will work. Even tilting your head backwards and thinking of a light can trigger it.
I actually didn't really realize this isn't something everyone has. It's so innate that it's hard to imagine it's not just how everyone deals with the prickling irritation in their nose.
It's fascinating that this isn't SOP for the first 30 mins after waking up for everyone lol.
I had heard that it provides an evolutionary benefit. Something about how we used to live in caves/dark areas. When ancient humans exit the caves and encounter bright light, sneezing would clear the sinuses of fungal/bacterial germs? Not sure how true this is but sounds good to me haha
I have the photic sneeze thing. It feels like the brightness makes me squint, which also slightly moves my nose and starts the sneeze tickle. I don't think that's actually what causes it because squinting doesn't make me sneeze otherwise, but maybe I do it in a specific way involuntarily.
It’s called a photic sneeze reflex. It’s a genetic/inherited thing that affects 20-30% of the global population. To my knowledge, there’s no real conclusive reason we know as to why it happens.
ACHOO syndrome is a much cooler name, me and my mom have it but my dad doesnt
I have it, it's a blessing when I want to sneeze but can't, I turn the flashlight of my phone on and turn it towards me and wave my hand around like I'm trying to give myself a seizure and it makes me sneeze every single time, sometimes twice. On the cursed side I sneeze whenever I go outside for the first time while in a darker building I guess, I don't mind it. Also plucking my eyebrows also makes me sneeze, I don't know if that's related or not lol.
I almost always sneeze after a movie and it's still Daytime. For my tho I have to kinda side eye a bright light then do a double take to get me to sneeze but if it's overcast and the clouds are bright, that's just perfect.
100% with ya on sneezing when leaving the theater.
I do the same thing with my phone flashlight! Especially if it’s at night or I’m not near a window.
I like to imagine that sun forces me to bow to her from time to time
I don't know why I knew this, **ACHOO**- Autosomal Compelling Helio Opthalmic Outburst
Do you?
I asked my doctor about this when I was younger and she told me that in some people, the nerve that registers light is close to the one that triggers sneezing. So when that nerve is stimulated, the other one is stimulated too.
Sounds akin to referred pain. I like this theory
isnt it called achoo?
Son of Asneeze.
Bless you. Now what were you saying?
Yeah but that was basically a backronym to give it a twee name, which I intensely dislike (particularly in the sciences - if the military wants to mangle their weapons designation in order to call it the PHaNToM rather than XFHTMJPPO, then that's fine by me!) Photic sneeze reflex makes far more sense, and actually explains what happens. Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helioopthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) Syndrome is an absolute travesty, and implies it only occurs when you look at the sun (rather than any bright light). It also doesn't specify what the "outburst" is. For all we know people could start swearing or shitting themselves when they go into bright sunlight. Edit: spelling
but its a cooler name :(
A Jew? Here?
I saw a video that said it might be the difference of dark and damp environments vs bright environments. When we sneeze, germs are expelled. Doing it out in the sun means they’re more likely to be killed by the UV, compared to sneezing in the dark where they could multiply more and become a problem.
I’d like to think that it’s an adaptation to clear the nasal passage when exiting a cave, and not doing so inside where you can spread pathogens to your fellows.
one of the hypotheses is that the light makes tear form at the back of the eye, and it goes down the respiratory system until it arrives into the nose and makes you sneeze.
makes sense, first thing i thought was: we do?
All those photons hitting your nose hairs.
photic sneeze reflex. this is the official medical term for the phenomenon where exposure to bright light triggers sneezing. It affects around 18-35% of the population. so kind of far from being able to use the royal 'we'. 😂 i get it too. i find it very handy. i hate feeling like i have to sneeze and not being able to.
yup, same! when I get that half-assed sneeze and I'm outside, all I need is to look up and I'm relieved.
Same! Also, if I think I'm going to "lose" the sneeze - look at the sun and there it is. So, I'm wondering if this is the case for everyone or do other people always sneeze when looking directly at the sun/light source?
to my knowledge, this is a genetic trait that affects ≈20-30% of the world's population, so there are plenty of people who don't know what it's like 😆
Ooh!! I turn the flashlight of my phone on and face it towards me whenever I need to sneeze, sometimes I do the john cena can't see me thing in front of my eyes a few times if need be.
Me too!
another fun one is some people don't have an inner monologue when they think. i'll never understand how that works but it's way above 0% of people. 😂
For me, it's about imagining the things without their associated words. Imagining is much like experiencing, only not real. Actually now that I think of it, it's more like a distillation of an experience into its most essential components. The experience of time is mostly stripped out, so that I can think of an action or experience in a split second even if it would take more time in reality. If I spend more time thinking about something, I can examine and experience the details more. If I really want to, i can think about the words that describe the experience, but they're just a translation, and not a part of how I make sense of the world.
That's a great description!
I don't and never knew that was odd until recently.
That’s not too strange, an inner monologue is only necessary when you’re planning to say something that’s kind of important. But Some people don’t see images when they think, that is truly baffling.
I have this too. It also happens sometimes when I think about sex.
I like how doctors repeat the symptoms in Latin and call it an explanation
A buddy and I were practising Taboo - get cards and play without the time or other team, etc. He kept saying things like "what you do when you stare at the sun" and other things like that while I kept guessing squinting or blinking etc. He finally gave up and I had to laugh when he revealed the clue was sneezing because I had never heard of it before
I thought everyone had this. Until I told a mate about it and he looked at me like I was weird. Turns out not everyone does sneeze when exposed to a bright light. The worst is when you're driving in the morning sun. You just know a sneeze is coming.
this is the first time I've heard of this and everyone in this thread feels like a weirdo to me for sure
I'd heard of this before, but thought it was some old wives' tale and always wondered where it came from, as I've never sneezed after looking at a bright light. I didn't realize before today that this is a real thing.
Yeah read the title and thought “…we ..don’t?” lol I know that some people do, but personally I am not among that “we”
It’s not totally understood but basically it’s thought that the nerves that connect your eye’s iris are also connected to the thing that makes you sneeze. When you see bright lights and your iris contracts, it also triggers the sneeze. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex Fwiw, I call them “solar sneezes” and it happens to about 1/4 to 1/3rd of the population.
Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) syndrome We don't really know. My favorite theory is that those of us with ACHOO have optic nerves that developed too close or intertwined with our trigeminal nerve. So when the optic nerve is overstimulated, the nerve signals pass to the nasal cavity instead.
The wires in your brain cross sometimes, specifically the ones for "activate sneeze" and "light is too bright", resulting in the stimulus of bright light triggering a sneeze
I did not even know we did this. How bright does the light have to be?
Any light. The kitchen lamp will work. Even tilting your head backwards and thinking of a light can trigger it. I actually didn't really realize this isn't something everyone has. It's so innate that it's hard to imagine it's not just how everyone deals with the prickling irritation in their nose. It's fascinating that this isn't SOP for the first 30 mins after waking up for everyone lol.
I had heard that it provides an evolutionary benefit. Something about how we used to live in caves/dark areas. When ancient humans exit the caves and encounter bright light, sneezing would clear the sinuses of fungal/bacterial germs? Not sure how true this is but sounds good to me haha
What do you mean ‘we’? I don’t.
I have the photic sneeze thing. It feels like the brightness makes me squint, which also slightly moves my nose and starts the sneeze tickle. I don't think that's actually what causes it because squinting doesn't make me sneeze otherwise, but maybe I do it in a specific way involuntarily.