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Growing up in Florida, I had a weird allergy: the sun. Walking outside, coming from from a typically cool, dark indoor place, I’d invariably sneeze — sometimes twice. It happened to my father too, causing a strange family multi-sneeze spectacle whenever we’d leave a movie. For me it was just one or two sneezes, then all better. What caused this? I always assumed there was something about bright light that disagreed with my bookish, “indoor kid” nature. Apparently I was right; today I learned that science indeed has an answer: this phenomenon is called the photic sneeze reflex, and according to Wikipedia it “affects 18-35% of the human population.” So my Dad and I aren’t alone.
According to Scientific American, the photic sneeze has long been a subject of curiosity, going all the way back to Aristotle. Francis Bacon even tested the phenomenon in the 17th century by stepping outside with his eyes closed — no sneeze. Hmm. So why would exposure to bright sunlight affect the nose? According to Scientific American:
A sneeze is usually triggered by an irritation in the nose, which is sensed by the trigeminal nerve, a cranial nerve responsible for facial sensation and motor control. This nerve is in close proximity to the optic nerve, which senses, for example, a sudden flood of light entering the retina. As the optic nerve fires to signal the brain to constrict the pupils, the theory goes, some of the electrical signal is sensed by the trigeminal nerve and mistaken by the brain as an irritant in the nose. Hence, a sneeze.
These sneezes even have a ridiculous acronym to describe them: ACHOO, “Autosomal-dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst.” Photic sneezes may also be related to migraines and seizures brought on by bright or flashing lights. Go figure.
Are You a Photic Sneezer?
If so, speak up in the comments!
(Via FitSugar.) Photo by Flickr user quinnums, used under Creative Commons license. You can read a bit more flossy writing about sneezing here: Do people sneeze in their sleep without waking up?
Comments (90)
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I have always wondered about this! It happens to me all the time. Thanks for the post.
Now I need a post on sudden a sudden hick-up. My mother always accused me of faking my one huge hick-up. She always knew when I was home from school.
posted by Rissa on 6-11-2009 at 5:13 pm
I am one of these sneezers! My husband always thought it was funny….and cute. And then after our son was born, he started doing it too. It’s cool to have a scientific answer to why this happens.
posted by Kat on 6-11-2009 at 5:13 pm
My husband does this! I always thought it was really strange – like, who’s “allergic” to being in the sun? But every time I sneeze, I sneeze 7 or 8 sneezes in a row. EVERY TIME. So I have no room to talk!
posted by Sarah on 6-11-2009 at 5:23 pm
Yup..I have always sneezed because of the sun too. I looked it up many years ago and was surprised so many (~25%) people have it but no one ever mentions it!
posted by nikescream on 6-11-2009 at 5:39 pm
My whole family sneezes at bright lights. In fact, when we have that ‘I gotta sneeze’ tickle, we all just find the nearest light source to bring it on. More interestingly, my sister gets severe migraines and I have a partial-seizure disorder. Never thought to tell my neuro about what I can now call my photic reflex!
posted by betty on 6-11-2009 at 5:39 pm
This happens to me, especially if I’m in the car and the sun is near the horizon. I refuse to drive then; I’d rather not sneeze and swerve into a ditch or something.
posted by adrienne on 6-11-2009 at 5:42 pm
Very cool to know I am not alone. I’m in my 40s and have had this ever since I can remember.
Mentioned it as a kid to adults, no one ever offered any kind of consolation or explanation.
I came up with a theory on my own…thinking the “dust” in the air and/or my nose was “heated” by looking at the sun–and the heat made it move around (heat does speed up stuff, right?) and thus the faster moving dust triggered the sneeze.
The human body is fascinating, isn’t it?
posted by Bob on 6-11-2009 at 5:42 pm
I know that if I have a tickle in my nose, I can look at a bright light (the sun, a lamp, etc.) and it will almost ALWAYS force that tickle into a full blown sneeze!
The tickle has to be there though. I don’t just sneeze because I go out in the sun or anything.
posted by Christine on 6-11-2009 at 5:48 pm
I love having a photic sneeze reflex. Whenever I need to sneeze and can’t quite get there I just look at a light. My husband always laughs at me as I am rushing around trying to find a beam of sunlight or a light that is bright enough before my sneeze disappears.
posted by Kristin on 6-11-2009 at 5:51 pm
I sneeze at sunlight. I also sneeze as soon as I enter water – shower, pool, ocean, etc. even before I get my face wet. Got an answer for that one?
posted by Karen on 6-11-2009 at 5:54 pm
I’m the same as Christine. I’ve never sneezed just because of the sun, but looking at a bright light when I feel a sneeze coming can definitely help.
posted by ceruleas on 6-11-2009 at 6:02 pm
My sister, Myself and my Grandma all do this… but we had always attributed it to light sensitivity… we all have light blue eyes and are extremely sensitive to light and the people with dark eyes in my family don’t sneeze in the sunlight… I wonder if there is a genetic link to blue eyes/light sensitivity and the optic sneeze???
posted by Kevin on 6-11-2009 at 6:18 pm
I do this, I always thought that it was because i winced my eyes when walking out in the sun though!
posted by dee on 6-11-2009 at 6:34 pm
I’m a photic sneezer.
posted by Patrick on 6-11-2009 at 6:35 pm
Ha, I have found a support group for my sneezing.
posted by Nick on 6-11-2009 at 6:49 pm
I’ve known that I had this for some time. In my case I actually sneeze in the morning as well as in the evening when it gets darker.
posted by Dave on 6-11-2009 at 6:59 pm
I’ve done it my whole life, and now my 3 year old does, too. The flashing light this is interesting. I have panic attacks when I’m around strobe lights. Wonder if it’s related?
posted by JenC on 6-11-2009 at 7:04 pm
My dad, my brothers, and I all do this. My mom is immune.
posted by Andrea on 6-11-2009 at 7:17 pm
I’m a member of the club, too!
I hate it when people talk to me when I’m walking into the sun – I need to concentrate on the sneezing, people!
posted by sara on 6-11-2009 at 7:21 pm
This happens to me too! I’ve never really thought about it until now. I sneeze when I tweeze my eyebrows as well. I wonder if that’s because of the trigeminal/optic nerve proximity.
posted by Alyssa on 6-11-2009 at 7:22 pm
My friend thought I had some sort of weird medical condition :( It doesn’t happen all that often, but I can always feel one building up when I drive into bright light.
posted by lu on 6-11-2009 at 7:36 pm
My mom and I both do this–good to know we’re not crazy :D
posted by Fruppi on 6-11-2009 at 8:16 pm
The light has always helped me sneeze. I though something was wrong with those it didn’t affect. And yes so does tweezing my eyebrows. Every time. And sometimes applying mascara. That one sucks, though; DO OVER!
posted by Christie on 6-11-2009 at 8:30 pm
Myself and every member of my family is affected by photic sneezing. We call them ’sun sneezes’…
Often when I am trying to sneeze and can’t quit, looking at a bright light helps trigger the sneeze.
posted by Thor on 6-11-2009 at 8:38 pm
This mentioned in my Genetics text in college and my classmates thought it was fake, but I knew it wasn’t! My dad, sister, and I have it.
I also sometimes sneeze when tweezing my eyebrows! I’m always worried the sneeze will cause me to stick the tweezers in my eye :P
posted by Claire on 6-11-2009 at 8:42 pm
Yup. I too sneeze when I look at the light. Sunlight, artificial light; doesn’t matter
posted by JaneM on 6-11-2009 at 9:00 pm
Hahaha I had to send this to my boyfriend IMMEDIATELY. He always claims that the sun makes him sneeze, and I’m always telling him he’s being ridiculous. I apologized to him after reading this. Hahahaha
posted by TegNicMir on 6-11-2009 at 9:06 pm
Same experience as the author. Me, my dad, and sister. Not my mom. Now one of my sons does it too.
I also get ocular migraines, interesting to see a connection,
posted by Steve on 6-11-2009 at 9:09 pm
I, too, am a photic sneezer – I almost always sneeze twice. But, if I do only sneeze once, I’ll only sneeze once again later in the day (either coming out into sunlight, or looking at a bright light).
Weird how they come in pairs :)
I kinda think it feels good/is a relief, so I’ve never minded it.
posted by swss on 6-11-2009 at 9:36 pm
I sneeze at the sun, but quit trying to explain it with science. I know that the deamons that inhabit my body can’t stand the sunlight, and exiting through the mouth is much more pleasant than escaping the other way.
posted by Witty Nickname on 6-11-2009 at 10:07 pm
i’m not watching this thread, but i would like to say that i too am a photic sneezer… i just new that i was allergic to the sun!! lol
posted by katrina on 6-11-2009 at 10:15 pm
I sneeze most days at least 6 times in a row. Not only do I sneeze when I see the sun, sometimes indoors too! People keep telling me that I´m allergic to something but I know several relatives have the same syndrome and all of them blame it on the sun!
posted by Martina on 6-11-2009 at 10:40 pm
I always have a sneezing attack for a minute or so whenever I drink for more than an hour or so.
posted by Beau on 6-11-2009 at 10:43 pm
Strangely, I sneeze when I see the sunlight or sometimes when sexually aroused? Anybody else get this?
posted by Tim on 6-11-2009 at 11:16 pm
Hmmm…I have always sneezed upon going outdoors and my youngest daughter does too. My oldest daughter has seizures. I wonder if that is the reason.
posted by Diana K on 6-11-2009 at 11:30 pm
photic sneezing is more common in people or nordic or scandinavian decent. my theory is that sneezing in the presence of bright light protects their light colored eyes looking too long at the light source by forcing them to close their eyes for the sneeze.
posted by pilya on 6-12-2009 at 3:18 am
Me and my brother both do that too. When my brother feels a sneeze coming on he’ll shove his face underneath a lamp shade and then just sneeze like crazy.
posted by Laura on 6-12-2009 at 7:58 am
Yay Steve! Ocular migraine buddy! I never thought about a connection between those and my photic sneeze reflex before. I find I get the migraines if I’m dehydrated and have been straining my eyes, like a regular headache (except with more OMG I’M GOING BLIND panic).
I’m also glad I’m not the only one who stares at bright lights to induce sneezing when I feel a tickle. My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy.
posted by Christina on 6-12-2009 at 8:37 am
I am a photic sneezer! So glad to have a name for it. I remember even back in elementary school, every day when we’d step outside to play on the playground I’d sneeze a couple of times as soon as the sun hit my face.
posted by Ansley on 6-12-2009 at 9:22 am
This happens to me too. However, its usually only for long exposure. I don’t sneeze going outside from a dark place, unless I pretty much stare at the sun.
posted by steve on 6-12-2009 at 9:46 am
I’m DEFINITELY a sun sneezer. I’ve known it my whole life. My father has it too. I also am one of those that ’searches for the light’ when I’m not outside when I get the tickle. People laugh at me, but it’s SUCH a relief. I’ve actually been sneezing more lately now that the its summer and bright out, and the allergies are more prevalent, so I sneeze when I get in the sun, and when I’m not. The tickle is always there, I’m averaging about 15-20 sneezes a day for the past few weeks.
I always knew that there was a scientific explanation!
posted by Katy on 6-12-2009 at 10:11 am
I don’t remember either parent with this condition but I have heard that it is hereditary. My two oldest boys have it, but my wife thinks I’m a hypochondriac.
posted by Grant on 6-12-2009 at 10:59 am
I too always wondered about this. My buddy always said I was full of it. Sometimes if I feel a sneeze coming on, I look towards the sun or a brigh light.
posted by David on 6-12-2009 at 11:34 am
I have it and I always wondered why. So thanks for the explaination!! :) When I was younger, I thought I did have an allergy to sunlight, LOL. My daughter has this too. Every morning when she crawls out of her dark room into the beaming light of morning, she lets out at least 3 consecutive sneezes.
posted by Saryna on 6-12-2009 at 11:37 am
Yeah, my family gets this too. I’m guessing it’s genetic.
posted by David on 6-12-2009 at 12:52 pm
Yes! My friends in junior high used to think I was nuts (although that could be because I unwisely told them my eyebrows used to tingle first). Glad to know I’m not the only one.
posted by Kate on 6-12-2009 at 1:21 pm
I still hold the record (no one else has attempted to record a challenge) for consecutive days sneezing as I left the school cafeteria – 78 days, broken only by an overcast day.
posted by Bill Ingram on 6-12-2009 at 1:37 pm
I get the urge to sneeze 4 or 5 times a day and absolutely can’t unless I find a bright light to look at imediately.
But oh, those ACHOO sneezes feel so very good.
posted by dustin on 6-12-2009 at 1:45 pm
YES! I have wondered why this was the case. A friend told me to look into light whenever I had a sneeze that wouldn’t come out (I hate that feeling) and I thought she was insane. But damnitall it works! Thanks for solving the mystery :)
posted by Meredith on 6-12-2009 at 1:50 pm
Whenever I would walk outside and sneeze when I was a kid, my grandmother would say, “Sun sneeze!” So that is still what I call it.
posted by dancing_lemur on 6-12-2009 at 1:53 pm
I found out the science behind this a long time ago because I had a friend who didn’t believe that it was a real unintended reaction. My Mom and sisters have it too and I think I recall reading that it is genetically linked.
I’ll do you one better though. If I get really really hungry I will often be triggered to sneeze. My girlfriend (and anyone else for that matter) thinks it’s hilarious and not actually related, but I know I’m not alone.
There are dozens of us!
posted by Tim on 6-12-2009 at 2:16 pm
Does anyone remember the Pete and Pete episode where the young Pete and his friends had to stay up and the one girl used to look at the sun and sneeze to keep awake?
posted by Allison on 6-12-2009 at 2:17 pm
I have this sane affliction (as do my 3 young boys), but I always thought that it was more related to the squinting that occurs, yet I do not sneeze when I am wearing sunglasses or have my eyes closed when going outside. The electrical “leak” makes more logical sense since I can squint in any other location and not make myself sneeze.
posted by Colman on 6-12-2009 at 2:42 pm
I’m a sneezer as well, and my average number is 5 sneezes.
Rissa, I also have the random hiccup. I rarely get a set of hiccups, but I have random ones at least once a day!
posted by Jen on 6-12-2009 at 3:04 pm
I don’t have the affliction but my 2 1/2 year-old daughter (who loves all things cold) sure does…Although if I feel a sneeze coming on, sitting on the fence like Humpty Dumpty, wondering which way to fall, all I have to do is look at a light (or the color yellow) and the sneeze always wins.
posted by sally on 6-12-2009 at 3:04 pm
I think it has to do with direct sunlight, because I don’t sneeze if I’m wearing sunglasses or if my eyes are closed. I thought it happened to everybody since everybody in my family does it – we’re all brown-eyed by the way.
posted by surfer girl on 6-12-2009 at 4:32 pm
Definitely got it. And I can’t stand when people outright tell me, “No, that’s not a thing.” No, thank you. It definitely is the bright light.
posted by Dane on 6-12-2009 at 5:02 pm
I’ve always wondered why this happens to me. But here’s another one – when I sneeze I always sneeze four times.
posted by Linda on 6-12-2009 at 6:41 pm
I have been affected with this my whole life, When walk out into the sun its usually two sneezes and then I’m fine. I always knew there was some explanation for this. Great article
posted by Sheldon on 6-13-2009 at 12:46 am
I’m a photic sneezer, also sneeze when I tweeze my eyebrows. Always multiple sneezes.
posted by me on 6-13-2009 at 1:48 am
I have it and whenever I tell people they give me the weird look. Just like when I tell them about my restless leg syndrome. Nobody gets it :)
posted by Raed on 6-13-2009 at 4:00 am
My husband and my daughter both have this, as does my father-in-law. But the reason I’m posting this is that I have the identical thing, but it happens when I first start feeling a little “frisky”. I’ve read about this, and I’m not the only one, though I don’t think it’s as widespread as this photic sneeze reflex.
posted by sw on 6-13-2009 at 8:01 am
This seems to run in our family as well. Interestingly, I was told during my last eye exam that my pupils are 30 to 40 percent larger than normal, and that it may contribute to my sensitivity to light, as well as being responsible for my good nightvision.
posted by Dave on 6-13-2009 at 11:09 am
great to read this here! i’ve always claimed that the sun makes me sneeze, but no one ever beleived me. haha. now i have proof!
posted by nads on 6-13-2009 at 11:33 am
Nearly everyone I know has this response, I think it’s more like 75%.
posted by Goober on 6-13-2009 at 3:29 pm
My mother-in-law, husband and daughter all sneeze three times in a row when they go outside. The rest of us laugh because its simultanious.
posted by whiskyouaway on 6-13-2009 at 10:18 pm
I have always been a “sunlight sneezer” and I have noticed the same thing with my 5 month old.
posted by Eric McWilliams on 6-14-2009 at 1:45 am
I too am a photic sneezer, and being a bit of a geek, I’ve experimented with it quite a bit over the years.
That experimenting led to the discovery that I can quite often sneeze on command in reasonably bright sunlight.
For me, the technique is to roll my eyeballs upwards as far as I can, squint slightly then adjust my head so the sun is at about 1 o’clock high in my field of vision. Bam! Sneeze!
Maybe I should get a life :-)
posted by Slippy Lane on 6-14-2009 at 12:26 pm
I was renowned as a child for my fits of sneezing whenever i walked into sunlight.
posted by tuckels on 6-15-2009 at 3:25 am
I’m not a photic sneezer, but I’m the only one in the family! Both parents and all five siblings sneeze as soon as we walk outside… it’s funny to see.
Besides the lack of photic sneezing, I’m the oddball in several ways. I’m the only blond, non-freckled, and the only right-handed kid! My mother is ambidextrous and was a toe-headed kid- I hope that explains my genetic mismatching! I wonder if this type of reaction is a dominant trait?
posted by Lefty on 6-15-2009 at 10:41 am
@Tim – “Strangely…sometimes when sexually aroused?”
I have that too, I can sneeze up to 4 – 5 times, and I’ve had it since I was around 11. And it’s weird, you kind of have to “recharge” for another sneeze after an attack like that, so this only happens max 2 times a day.
I’ve heard it been referred to as “sexcold” (translated) but I can’t find any more medical history on it.
Great party-trick though, haha!
posted by Erik Lundmark on 6-15-2009 at 3:46 pm
Yes! My mom, two brothers and I all sneeze as soon as we enter the sun. Until a few years ago, I assumed everyone did it and had NO idea that wasn’t true. I love it. Never have to have a sneeze stuck in there.
posted by Buggie on 6-15-2009 at 5:50 pm
I’m feeling we all must be related!
I’ve been a photic sneezer (2-3 in succession) all of my life, my Mom has it too. Her side of the family is of Norwegian extraction. I have light-colored eyes (grey) and I get ocular migraines several times a year.
To top it off, my wife thinks I’m a freak, but both kids are showing a tendency to the optic sneeze reflex and my daughter has started getting migraines as well.
posted by Don on 6-15-2009 at 5:54 pm
My mother is actually allergic to the sun; she breaks out in hives when she’s in the sun. She also sneezes when she goes into the sun. So does my son, he thinks its weird.
posted by ChrisC on 6-15-2009 at 6:41 pm
Wow… I’d asked a couple of people if this happened to them, they all looked at me like I was a weirdo and I never dared to mention it again. I also seek out light (natural or indoor) when I feel a tickle. Gets the sneeze out!
Diddo on the tweezing, although, I usually do it in the bathroom, below the bright light to catch all the little hairs, which is what I always chalked it up to.
Say, MF scientists, is there another article looming in your repertoire.. “Tweezing and Sneezing; going beyond ACHOO”?
posted by Joanne135 on 6-16-2009 at 2:12 pm
I’ve been doing this for the last 50 plus years (that I can remember) About 30 years ago, this was written up in one of the popular science magazines as a condition called “photo-rhinitis”.
I forget what the explanation was but it was a great comfort to be able to say to people that”I’m OK, thanks, it’s only my photo-rhinitis acting up.”
posted by Carl on 6-17-2009 at 12:28 pm
Sun Sneezers, Unite! My dad’s whole family does this. They’re of German descent, with a little Irish and Scottish. They’re also all blue-eyed, with chocolate hair.
My aunt and I are worst: We have severe migraines, can freckle/sunburn in a dark room, and naturally we’re the only ones who don’t wear the family color palette. She’s a green-eyed redhead. (See? Irish.) I’m her brown-eyed, blonde doppelganger. I’m also the first person in at least four generations who doesn’t need glasses (20/20), though I’m far more photosensitive than my aunt. We CANNOT see without sunglasses. My nightvision almost qualifies as a superpower.
Here’s one for your “Weird Sneeze Triggers” file: I am incapable of taking a dose of Nyquil or other cough syrups without sneezing explosively. My sister finds this hilarious, drat her.
Also, does anyone else double over every time they sneeze? I don’t sneeze very hard (without Nyquil), but my abs contract so hard that either I headbang with my entire torso, a knee high-steps, or both. When I have a sneezing fit, I look like I’m squaredancing at a rock concert.
posted by Valkyrie on 6-17-2009 at 4:56 pm
@Valkyrie – I don’t double over, but I do kinda hate sneezing, since it’s usually pretty extreme (like flexes my whole torso in an “ouch/holy crap” way).
BTW I knew a girl in high school who had serial sneezes. Every day during class, she’d go a-CHOO-a-CHOO-a-CHOO-a-CHOO-a-CHOO (like five or six times, all in a row). I’m usually just good for one or two big “BAHCHOOOOOO”s.
posted by Chris Higgins on 6-17-2009 at 4:59 pm
I am a photic sneezer and feel so much better now that I have a label for it. I am also a multiple sneezer and my personal best is 14 in a row. I also sneeze when I am aroused. As an adolescent I used to think that I was being punished for having ‘naughty’ thoughts.
posted by sneezy on 6-23-2009 at 12:33 pm
I asked my 6th grade teacher about this. He declared that it was bunk and that maybe looking up at a light or the sun caused a bit of dust to enter the nose. I knew he was wrong. It’s nice to have the scientific proof. In your face Mr. Conway!
posted by Lisa on 7-14-2009 at 4:18 pm
My Dad, brother and I all have blue eyes and all have this sneeze reflex. Never knew the name till now. I don’t know if I don’t do it as much now or if I don’t even realize I’m doing it now after 30-something years. It’s funny to see my blue-eyed son sneezing now too the minute he walks outside.
posted by Laura on 7-17-2009 at 2:32 pm
It’s nice to finally put a name to this. My mom, son and I all have this. My wife always laughs when we all walk out of a building together.
posted by Tim on 7-29-2009 at 3:05 pm
So how do you fix it so that this doesn’t happen?
posted by Teddy on 7-31-2009 at 4:52 pm
Another photic sneezing family here! In our case it seems to run through the male side : grandfather, father, brother and self all affected to various degrees.
Will it be passed down to the next generation?
posted by Martin on 8-1-2009 at 6:27 am
I have sneezed from the sun for as long as I can remember. My mom thinks it’s funny; everyone else thinks I’m crazy. I do it coming out of an air conditioned building or when I get out of the car. I always, almost without exception, sneeze twice. I’m sure my neighbors have noticed this by now…I always imagine them saying, “Oh, Lindsay’s home now.” I can also do it on command, but only twice. I haven’t heard anyone mention how good it feels…I sometimes joke I’d rather sneeze than have an orgasm! I love sneezing! :-D
posted by Lindsay on 9-7-2009 at 10:47 pm
My BF and son are photic sneezers. It’s obviously genetic, and I think it may be more of a male trait than a female trait. I noticed my son first do it around 2 or 3, then started researching it, then learned what it was. He just had a “sneezing fit” now, and he turned the light off and he stopped, LOL…
If I feel the urge to sneeze (from an irritant), I will look at the light and help it along. The reason it does this is exactly what the article says,.. your pupil is flooded w/ light, and the electrical impulse to the brain along the optic nerve is detected by the trigeminal nerve, and that’s what causes the sneeze.
Obviously, not everyone can do this, so there must be some variables as to how close the two nerves are to each other.
posted by FallenAnjel on 9-21-2009 at 7:35 pm
I’m a photic sneezer too!
I think I’m the only one in my family though
posted by Katie on 9-27-2009 at 10:29 pm
I do this as well. I just say it’s because I’m allergic to fresh air and need to go back inside where it’s safe.
I have computers, video games, the internet and books there.
posted by Mike Brown on 10-1-2009 at 3:45 am
Photic reflexist here – always. Its a hereditary thing, like being able to curl your tongue.
posted by stine4115 on 11-14-2009 at 12:07 am
Always happened to me when I would catch the sunlight reflected off a window. No one would ever believe me. No I can drop off this mortal coil knowing the meaning of it all :>)
posted by Graham Caulfield on 11-16-2009 at 8:46 pm