Poll

Do you sometimes sneeze when looking at bright light?

Only registered users are allowed to vote for this poll.
38 votes were received.

Yes	14		37%
No	24		63%

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Got a call from a nephew, asking if I, too, was one of the family members who had "Photic Sneeze Reflex" (see the wiki page here if you're new to it).

Yes, I'm one, and remember thinking as a kid that everyone must have that urge to sneeze when exposed to any bright light. It was only later that I learned that it only affects supposedly 18-35% of humans.

So a quick poll: how many of you find that you sneeze or get the urge to sneeze when you go out into bright sunlight? I'm going to guess that it'll be about 1 out of every 5 people.

Sneezers Unite!

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 25" Acer 1440p LCDs • M1 2020 13" MBAir (256G 8G) •

I don't have it but my Pop does! When I drive into the sun, he will have a sneeze attack, maybe 4-5 sneezes in a row. I don't have any.

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I do, my dad did and my daughter does.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I may have had it when much younger, and it was only occasional.

It hasn't happened in years, though somewhere along the line, I developed low-lever allergies to something, dust maybe, pollen not so much.

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I do. I find it amusing that it's so binary. When you mention it to folks, some people say "of course!" and others say "what the heck are you talking about, are you nuts?"

This is similar to cilantro tolerance. Some people think of it as just another herb, and others (like me) put it in their mouth and feel like they've been asked to eat soap, aluminum foil, or something poisonous.

Both of these characteristics seem to be hereditary.

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davester
I do. I find it amusing that it's so binary. When you mention it to folks, some people say "of course!" and others say "what the heck are you talking about, are you nuts?"

This is similar to cilantro tolerance. Some people think of it as just another herb, and others (like me) put it in their mouth and feel like they've been asked to eat soap, aluminum foil, or something poisonous.

Both of these characteristics seem to be hereditary.

Definitely, and that's what they're finding in the research, that it is actually a genetic twist of the dial.

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 25" Acer 1440p LCDs • M1 2020 13" MBAir (256G 8G) •

Not myself, but my longtime friend and former college roommate has been afflicted with ACHOO Syndrome as long as I can remember - it was a source of much amusement during our college years.

Not me but my son. I find it amusing.

I wonder if there is any correlation between it and very light blue eyes.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

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rgG
I wonder if there is any correlation between it and very light blue eyes.

That's a good question, I could've added that into the poll. I'm a blue-eyed.

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 25" Acer 1440p LCDs • M1 2020 13" MBAir (256G 8G) •

It's not binary for me, so I guess the answer is no? I mean it has happened.

I don’t, but my brother-in-law has a rock-solid reliable case. And he’s Italian, and definitely not blue-eyed.

All my children had it when they were babies. Apparently it's incredibly common but most of them grow out of it. I expect it hearkens back to when we finally developed a cure to the vampire gene... ?

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tuqqer

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rgG
I wonder if there is any correlation between it and very light blue eyes.

That's a good question, I could've added that into the poll. I'm a blue-eyed.

I am as well.

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No, but if I feel a reticent sneeze coming on, looking into a bright light indoors or out can trigger it.

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Lew Zealand
No, but if I feel a reticent sneeze coming on, looking into a bright light indoors or out can trigger it.

That's pretty much it. People without PSR can't elicit a sneeze by looking at any light; it doesn't kick it into gear. I'm the same: if I want to sneeze, I'll widen my eyes and look at pretty much any light and kablam.

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M1 2020 Mac mini (16G 2T) • Ventura 13.x • Dual 25" Acer 1440p LCDs • M1 2020 13" MBAir (256G 8G) •

Nope, but I have a distant cousin that has sneezing fits.
==

My wife and younger son, yes. Happens without fail.

Me and the older son, no.

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rgG
I wonder if there is any correlation between it and very light blue eyes.

Hmm, my son has blue eyes... not very light blue though.

If I feel a sneeze coming on, the best method I have to make it happen is to slowly breathe only through my nose. Works about 80% of the time.

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Lew Zealand
No, but if I feel a reticent sneeze coming on, looking into a bright light indoors or out can trigger it.

me too - I had no idea until just now that this wasn't universal. I think everyone in my family was the same.

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hal

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Lew Zealand
No, but if I feel a reticent sneeze coming on, looking into a bright light indoors or out can trigger it.

me too - I had no idea until just now that this wasn't universal. I think everyone in my family was the same.

You know what the funniest thing about this is: I didn't know I could do this until Mrs. Zealand mentioned about 5 or 6 years ago that she does it. I tried it and it works. Occasionally you learn things about your personal physiology many decades into your life that were hiding there all the while.

I always try to put my sunglasses on before I actually get outside, because of my sneeze reflex.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

I wonder if there is any correlation between it and very light blue eyes.

Not me-mine are brown and I apparently have this thing but never thought twice about it. Didn't know it was a "condition"!

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yes...yes...yes 3 sneezes EVERY time! And no blue eyes here.

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Aloha, Ken


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Some breath mints will cause me to sneeze within about 30 seconds of putting them into my mouth. Usually 3 full sneezes. After that, I can enjoy the mint without further effects.

I've had it as long as I can remember.

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Grateful11

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Lew Zealand
No, but if I feel a reticent sneeze coming on, looking into a bright light indoors or out can trigger it.

Same here.

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Drew
Some breath mints will cause me to sneeze within about 30 seconds of putting them into my mouth. Usually 3 full sneezes. After that, I can enjoy the mint without further effects.

For me it is chocolate,, or at least the lower quality chocolate. This on top of having the "photic sneeze reflex".