“Genetics is the science of hope…”
James Watson
I recently suffered an outburst of violent sneezing when the sun shone brightly into my car. In heavy traffic it was a moment of drama. Sun sneezing was first documented in 350 BCE by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle. The correct term for the event is the photic sneeze reflex, but is also referred to as an autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst. The exact mechanism is unknown but probably involves the aberrant stimulation of the ophthalmic branches of the trigeminal nerve leading to triggering of the sneeze as the result of optic-trigeminal summation in the brainstem. Put simply, sunlight contacts the pupils and simulates nasal irritation. Only 18-35% of people are susceptible. Inheritance is the result of a deletion error in the C allele of the rs10427255 SNP on either chromosome 2 or 15. Some fun facts. The reflex triggers between 3-15 sneezes. It is more common after eating, particularly chocolate. It is more common with reflected light. It is a hazard for eye surgery as it can be triggered by peri-ocular injections and propofol sedation. Fighter pilots are screened for the reflex. #ACHOOsyndrome #letsmakelemonade
Pen Paint and Scalpel 