Why do they say to look at a bright light to help you sneeze?

Question

I have always been curious about that. Does it really work, and how?

I know it works, it does for me. Im just wondering how.

Answer 1

I always thought that when you tilt your head back to look at the light, that it created enough of a tickle in your sinuses to make you sneeze. Though, I just Goggled it and here was a scientific reason for it:

About 25% of people do actually sneeze when exposed to bright lights like the sun. We do not know exactly why this happens, but it might reflect a "crossing" of pathways in the brain, between the normal reflex of the eye in response to light and the sneezing reflex. There is no apparent benefit from "sun-sneezing", and it probably is nothing more than an unimportant (but annoying) holdover of evolution.

from: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/aug97/865380242.Me.r.html

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In the pupillary light reflex, shining a light in the eye causes nerve signals to go from the eye to the brain and then back the eye again, telling the pupil to constrict. In the usual sneeze reflex, tickling the nose causes nerve signals to go from the nose to the brain and then back out to the nose, mouth, chest muscles and everything else involved in the actual sneeze. The key point is that the nerve signals take complicated routes through the brain, but usually the pupillary light reflex and sneeze reflex take different routes. Apparently what happens in sun-sneezers is that shining a bright enough light in the eye ALSO sends nerves signals from the eye to the brain and then back out to the nose, mouth and chest! In short, the wires are crossed a little bit in some people, and so shining a light in the eye "accidentally" activates two different outgoing pathways.

from: http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/003554.html

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For some people, the bright sun can provoke a sneeze. About one out of three people sneezes in the presence of bright light. These sneezers are called "photics" (from the Greek word "phos," meaning "of light"). Photic sneezers run in families, since this trait is inherited.

from: http://staging.chw.healthinkonline.com/modules/SelfCareWellness/WellAdvised.asp?artID=206

Answer 2

That gets me to sneezing every time! I'm just guessing that when you get that itch to sneeze and it isn't quite there yet, you look at the light and your face and eyes squint just enough to get the right muscles and mechanisms to start seriously tickling to finally get the sneeze out.

Answer 3

Haven't you ever looked up at the sun before? It makes me sneeze for sure! Try it, you might sneeze next time you look up at the sun.

Answer 4

I think because when you look up you tilt the airway and inhale dust that will make you sneeze.

Answer 5

It works for me but I could never figure out why.

Answer 6

me too