Some people sneeze in bright light. [1] Photic sneezes are harmless annoyances for the most part, but can pose physical risk to people who are operating vehicles or machinery, which involves precise movement and reactions. sallison 07:34, 8 October 2005 (UTC) The photic sneeze reflex: literature review and discussion. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with PSS in Caucasian populations. An example of directly stimulating would be plucking an eyebrow or pulling hair. concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other A study conducted by the School of Optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that females represent 67% of photic sneezers. A typical sneeze is caused by irritation in the nose which fires the trigeminal nerve to trigger a sneeze. The photic sneeze reflex, explained. Wikipedia says that it a reflexive action. For some people, sudden exposure to sunlight produces an unexpected reflex - they sneeze. Receive updates on the latest news and alerts straight to your inbox. scientists are clever May 15, 2002 by rob. There does not appear to be evidence that this sneeze reflex is actually inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The photic sneeze reflex (autosomal dominant) is a condition that causes sneezing in response to numerous stimuli such as looking at bright lights or periocular (surrounding the eyeball) injection. The ‘photic sneeze reflex’ is therefore not a classical reflex that occurs only at a brainstem or spinal cord level but, in stark contrast to many theories, involves also specific cortical areas. I agree. In particular, photic sneezing poses a considerable risk to pilots, due to the frequent presence of bright sunlight and the precise reactions needed to successfully control the aircraft. Researchers have figured out the underlying genetics of sun-sneezing. The Achoo syndrome is also called the photic sneeze reflex or the helio-ophthalmic outburst syndrome. The photic sneeze reflex (also known as photoptarmosis, Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst Syndrome (ACHOO) and colloquially sun sneezing) is a condition of uncontrollable sneezing in response to numerous stimuli, such as looking at bright lights or periocular (surrounding the eyeball) injection. Way I heard it, it's more or less that your eyes close instinctively while looking at the sun, same way it does while sneezing. The study also found statistically significant correlations between photic sneezing and the presence of a deviated septum. Pronunciation of photic sneeze reflex with 1 audio pronunciation, 10 translations and more for photic sneeze reflex. Photic sneeze reflex is a completely hereditary condition. About 18% of the US population is said to have this. Sneezing occurs in response to irritation in the nasal cavity, which results in an afferent signal propagating through the ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve to the trigeminal nerve nuclei in the brainstem. We believe that only a professional writer can create academic content that is perfect and that obtains the best results.All online essay writers in our network have a strong track record of providing research and writing assistance to students. There is currently no definitive way to cure the sneezing fits brought on by the photic sneeze reflex. The sneezing reflex is a common phenomenon in human beings and animals. Light of any kind seems to trigger the photic sneeze response—or, more specifically, the transition from a dark area into a brightly-lit one. Photic Sneeze Reflex & Genetics Does this scenario sound familiar? The first mention of the phenomenon is probably in the later work attributed to Aristotle (Problems, book XXXIII). 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