ACHOO Syndrome

Have you ever sneezed after staring at the Sun or other bright lights? Most of you probably answered "Yes," while the rest of you have no idea what they're talking about. This is caused by the photic sneeze reflex, commonly known as the autosomal dominant compulsive helio-ophthalmic outburst syndrome, or ACHOO Syndrome. It is a response in which you sneeze when you are suddenly exposed to bright lights. It affects up to 30% of the population, and people have no understanding why. It could be a genetic quirk acquired from your parents, or it could be caused by a physical issue like as a deviated nasal septum.

ACHOO Syndrome has affected some of history's most brilliant brains. The heat of the sun, according to Aristotle, was to blame. During the 17th century, English philosopher Francis Bacon disproved him by walking out into the blazing sun with his eyes closed. The heat was still present, but there were no sneezes. He sneezed as soon as he opened his eyes. He reasoned that the sunlight had caused the eyes to tear up, and the excess moisture had irritated the nose. They now know that he was incorrect as well, because the effect occurs too quickly for this to occur, but what exactly triggers ACHOO remains a mystery.