Anyone got photosensitive sneezing?!
Question:
Anyone got photosensitive sneezing?
A friend of mine has 'photosensitive sneezing' meaning she sneezes whenever she goes outside when its sunny something about her brain closing her eyes or something. she doesn't know much about it. how common is this? and why does it happen?
Answers:
This is the photic sneeze reflex (aka sun sneezing, photogenic sneezing or, whimsically, ACHOO reflex.) It occurs in 17 to 25% of humans, is more common in Caucasians than other races and is genetically passed on.
The probable cause is a congenital malfunction in nerve signals in the trigeminal nerve nucleus. The fifth cranial nerve, called the trigeminal nerve, is apparently responsible for sneezes. Research suggests that some people have an association between this nerve and the nerve that transmits visual impulses to the brain. Overstimulation of the optic nerve triggers the trigeminal nerve, and this causes the photic sneeze reflex.