An estimated 10-35% of the world’s population can be classified as “Sun sneezers”. Why does this develop and what are its main causes?
Despite being a somewhat common occurrence, the idea of “Sun sneezing” isn’t discussed all that frequently. I myself didn’t know about it until a few years ago, when riding in a car with someone who possessed this odd problem (I won’t use their real name as to protect the innocent). Seconds after the sun came out from behind the clouds, they began to sneeze uncontrollably.
While they were releasing snot rockets through intersections, I felt very amused and only slightly less safe in their car. Never experiencing or witnessing this before, I found the idea of sun sneezing very fascinating, and still do. Continue reading on as we dive into the details.
How Does Sneezing Work?
Before we get into the juicy stuff, I thought it’d be helpful to lay down some foundation and explain how regular sneezing operates.
Sneezing is a deceptively important reflex that we all have hardwired into us. It’s there to clear out our sinuses and respiratory system.
Your nose takes it very personally when something irritates it, especially if it’s something that’s not supposed to be there. This could be anything from dust to pollen, or if you’re a cartoon character, pepper.
Once the Mucus Membrane in your nose detects an irritation, it causes the Trigeminal nerve to become inflamed. This three-stemmed nerve sends signals to the brainstem and is responsible for sending most face-related pain or sensations to the brain.
What is Sun Sneezing?
The photic sneeze reflex, more commonly known as “sun sneezing” is a relatively harmless genetic condition that causes a person to sneeze when suddenly faced with bright light. And while most people blame sunlight, things such as Indoor lighting and flashing camera lights can have the same effect on some people.
The quick transition from a dark space to a bright space seems to be the biggest trigger for this reflex. It’s because of this that many people who experience PSR mention exiting a movie theater when pointing to their condition.
What Causes Sun Sneezing to Happen?
After reading that mini biology lecture from earlier I’m sure you’re wondering, “Why would sunlight irritate someone’s nose?”. In short, we’re still not fully sure. However, most scientists believe it relates to that Trigeminal nerve we mentioned earlier.
Despite how cool, iconic, and memorable the Trigeminal nerve is, it’s not the only one in your head. It is however right next to the optic nerve, which is responsible for processing light and images. The leading theory is with these nerves being in such close proximity, they end up intersecting neurological signals in the head. So essentially, your brain is playing a game of broken telephone.
Research on Photic Sneeze Reflex
One of the main reasons we don’t fully know how PSR works is due to lack of research. Unfortunately, there haven’t been as many studies done on photic sneeze reflex compared to other conditions and disorders. This is mainly because PSR is not harmful or even that inconvenient to live with.
While that does make me feel relieved for 10-35% of the population, it’s not exactly doing wonders for this blog.
Conclusion
While we may not be able to know everything about sun sneezing, that doesn’t stop it from being a great excuse to appreciate and observe the many mechanisms our body has in place to protect us.
Let us also not ignore the fact that sun sneezing is the coolest “problem” to have, because it’s the only one you can fix with a pair of sunglasses.
