Why Do We Sneeze When We See Bright Lights?

Sneezing happens when our body feels the need to clear out something from our nose, like dust or pollen. But sometimes, bright light can also make us sneeze! This is because a nerve in our face, the trigeminal nerve, connects both our eyes and our nose. When we see a sudden flash of bright light, it sends a signal to this nerve, which then tells our nose to sneeze!

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Examples

  1. A sneeze happens when you see the sun on a cloudy day.
  2. You are walking outside, and suddenly a bright flash from your phone triggers a sneeze.
  3. Looking at a whiteboard in a dark room can cause you to sneeze.

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