Don’t look at the sun!

Ever wondered why you sneeze when you look up at the sun? Welcome to the world of the fascinating "photic sneeze reflex" or ACHOO syndrome! This quirky phenomenon occurs when bright light, like sunlight, tickles our optic nerve and excites the nearby trigeminal nerve, leading to an irresistible urge to sneeze (Langer et al., 2010).

Although it may seem odd, this reflex isn't entirely uncommon. The close proximity of the optic and trigeminal nerves means that when your pupils constrict in response to bright light, your nose might interpret it as an irritation, prompting a sneeze (Eriksson et al., 2010).

Photic sneeze reflex, or ACHOO syndrome, serves as a reminder of the intricate connections within our body, showcasing how intertwined our senses truly are. A study conducted by the American Journal of Medical Genetics found that this reflex affects up to 35% of the population, with a genetic predisposition playing a significant role (Collie et al., 2018).

So next time you step out into the sunshine and feel that familiar tingle in your nose, embrace your sun-induced sneeze and marvel at the complexity of the human body, backed by scientific research.

References:

Collie, W. R., Pagon, R. A., Hall, J. G., & Tarczy-Hornoch, K. (2018). Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst (ACHOO) Syndrome: Report of a Family and Update. American Journal of Medical Genetics, 176(5), 1175-1179.

Eriksson, N., Macpherson, J. M., Tung, J. Y., Hon, L. S., Naughton, B., Saxonov, S., ... & Do, C. B. (2010). Web-based, participant-driven studies yield novel genetic associations for common traits. PLoS Genetics, 6(6), e1000993.

Langer, N., Beeli, G., & Jäncke, L. (2010). When the sun prickles your nose: an EEG study identifying neural bases of photic sneezing. PLoS One, 5(2), e9208.

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