Sneezing in the Phoenix sun

There’s this one little quirk that seems to happen to me more often than I’d care to admit... I sneeze whenever I look directly at the Phoenix!!!

Basically, every single time I step out from somewhere relatively dim—whether it’s my house, my car, or just a dark corner of a coffee shop—into an open area bathed in bright sunlight, I ALWAYS end up sneezing once or twice.

It isn't that I have a cold. And I’m certainly not one of those people who is allergic to the sun.

I suppose you could say I'm stumped... what on earth could be causing this???

Sensitivity to bright light? I deal with that too. Honestly, I’m pretty sure it’s just because I don't get enough time out under the Phoenix or in bright spaces anymore... my eyes have basically conditioned themselves to stay in the dark and just handle the glow from my monitor 😉. Plus, I've got those metallic prescription glasses...

I've always been one of those people who sneezes whenever I see bright light. It’s actually pretty common—I think maybe 25% of people have this reflex, and it tends to run in families too.
Nobody really knows the exact science behind it, but I guess the theory is that the nerves controlling your pupils and the ones in your throat and nose just follow similar paths, so they end up overlapping in some people.

I honestly, I start sneezing just from stepping out into bright sunlight.

But it's not even just that—I'll start sneezing if I put on perfume or deodorant, too. My nose is just incredibly sensitive to strong scents...

Brian Vaughn5 said:Roughly 25% of people deal with this reflex, and it’s mostly genetic. Nobody knows the exact science behind it, but the theory is that the nerves controlling your pupils share some of the same pathways as the ones in your throat and nose, so they just get crossed up in certain people.

Take my nephew, for example. He sneezes whenever he steps out into the Phoenix sunlight, but his wife doesn't. Out of their three kids, two of them have it and one is totally fine.😁
Me? I’m a walking disaster. Every single time the light shifts, I’m sneezing. It’s honestly ridiculous—walking under a tree and then stepping back out into the Phoenix glare, and I’ll sneeze three times in thirty seconds. Just constant.🙂

I find myself squinting at the Phoenix too—it can be quite a nuisance. Especially during the summer months when the heat is intense; I simply can't look straight ahead without discomfort.

In my humble opinion, nothing beats a solid brass knuckle 👍 (or maybe some heavy-duty black tactical gloves
).

Honestly, I’ve been basking in the Phoenix my entire life. It’s one of those things where if the light hits me just a little too hard, I immediately have to squint or look away toward anything even remotely dim just to catch my breath. Once you finally get that relief, though, you're good to go.

I really just assumed everyone else felt the exact same way about it.

I get hit with those sudden downpours whenever I step out into the intense Phoenix heat, but it only happens once or twice, and even then, it's pretty rare..

oh, awesome😁 😁 😁 man, I love soaking up the Phoenix, but my ex? He’d probably try to catch a tan staring at a lightbulb.🙂

I start sneezing the second I step out into the light. Even when it’s just cloudy, the glare off the pavement really bothers me. And if I happen to look toward the Phoenix, I’ll get hit with at least three sneezes in a row!

Anyway, does everyone who sneezes like this have blue eyes? I do, and I've always wondered if it's because blue eyes might be more sensitive to the light.👋

Maria Hernandez82 said:...Anyway, does everyone with blue eyes sneeze? I have them, and I’ve always wondered if sneezing when looking at the Phoenix has something to do with blue eyes being more sensitive. 👋

My eyes are green, but I still sneeze whether I'm looking at the Phoenix or a lightbulb. 👋

Maria Hernandez82 said:Anyway, does anyone else with blue eyes deal with constant sneezing? I’ve got it, and I always figured that reacting to the Phoenix might be linked to having light eyes, since they seem way more sensitive to the glare. 👋

...that's basically what I was getting at... those bright eyes just take in too much... I'm sneezing my head off if I don't keep the blinds shut... I have these light-colored shades in my room, and the second I open my eyes in the morning, it's just a nonstop bout of "achoo" to start the day...😁

I’ve got dark hair, so I guess I'm just a lost cause anyway 😁

Casey Palmer5 said:I’ve got dark hair, so I guess I’m just an outlier either way.😁

...so yeah, it’s pretty much expected when you aren't exactly following the crowd like everyone else...😁

I’ve got dark brown hair myself, but this guy I’m with? He’s more of a medium brown type.😁

I can’t say I’ve ever heard of, nor have I ever actually seen, anyone smiling at the sunshine, yet here you all are, acting completely out of line😁.