Tag: photic sneeze reflex

Don’t you just hate it when you need to sneeze but can’t

Having a sneeze stuck somewhere in your head has to be one of the worst feelings.

Me, I’m lucky. I can just look at the sun, or any bright light. And wallah – a sneeze appears. Like magic.

I am blessed with a condition shared by 18-35% of the population – photic sneeze reflex.

I told someone about this once and they didn’t believe me. But there’s a wikipedia article. So it must be true. Here are the facts ensconced in medical lingo to enhance credibility…

“Photic sneeze reflex is a genetic autosomal dominant, which causes sneezing (due to naso-ocular reflex) when exposed suddenly to bright light, possibly many times consecutively. It is also referred to as photic sneeze response, sun sneezing, photogenic sneezing, the photosternutatory reflex, being photo sensitive, allergic to the sun, ACHOO syndrome, and Achooism, named after the sound made when sneezing, along with its related backronym Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst syndrome.”

I also can’t burp. People struggle to believe that one too.