The Star: November 04, 2021

The Star Thursday November 4 2021
10
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Achoo – do you suffer from sun sneeze?
• By Andy Brew
IT IS a medical phenomenon
that has baffled human beings
for millennia.
Even the great Greek philosopher
Aristotle was left musing
the issue when he asked: “Why
does the heat of the sun provoke
sneezing and not the heat of the
fire?”
He was, of course, contemplating
the “sun sneeze,” or as it
has come to be known, Achoo
Syndrome, aka Autosomal
Dominant Compelling Helio-
Ophthalmic Outburst, aka
Photic Sneeze Reflex.
When this happens, the sufferer
can become instantly convulsed
in uncontrollable sneezing
fits brought about by even
the slightest exposure to bright
light, most typically, sunlight.
For thousands of New Zealanders
who have the genetic
trait achoo, preventing an outburst
of sneezes is not an option.
An estimated 18-35 per cent
of the world’s population are
affected by Achoo Syndrome and
as most people who suffer the
condition tend to think nothing
of it, with some even finding the
experience pleasurable rather
than annoying, it is considered
as quirky and harmless.
While the condition itself is
harmless, the outcome of an
unexpected, violent sneezing fit
at inopportune moments can be
anything but.
Sufferers have been known to
tear muscles and develop hernias
because of such fits.
The condition also poses safety
risks to motorists, machine
operators, pilots and military
personnel as well as those doing
day-to-day tasks such as carrying
hot drinks or riding a bike.
Figures obtained from Accident
Compensation Commission
show that more than 3000 Kiwis
suffered injuries due to sneezing
in the past five years, averaging
just over 600 mishaps a year.
In 2020, the most common
cause of sneeze-related
injuries was falls, with
645 claims made, followed
by sporting injuries (38)
and car crashes (34).
Soft tissue injuries,
such as tearing muscles,
ligament damage and
snapped tendons were the
most common with bone
fractures and dislocations also
frequently suffered.
Thomas
Wallace ​
BY THE NUMBERS:
•18-35 per cent of the
population are estimated
to suffer from Achoo
Syndrome
•102 – Number of car
crashes in New Zealand
in the past five years
caused by sneezing
•100 – Back and spinal
injuries suffered by
sneezers in 2020
•30 – Dental injuries
inflicted on Kiwis so
far this year due to
autosomal outbursts
•146 – Foot injuries
relating to photosneezia
incidents
Canterbury University PhD
student Thomas Wallace is one
such person with the peculiar
dysfunction.
Wallace said he nearly
ruined his sister’s wedding
day when he almost
dropped the cake while
battling for control after
emerging into the sunlight.
He said that he really
became aware of the
condition when he began
sharing a flat with other
students,
“My flatmates would always
laugh and comment on me
sneezing all the time just from
walking from a dark room to one
with sunlight or going out into
the garden,” he said.
“And they didn’t believe me
when I said it was caused by the
sun.”
To prove to his friends that he
was not making things up, Wallace
decided to film each time he
sneezed over a year and make a
compilation video of his photic
reflexive fits.
In spite of considerable research
into the syndrome, there
is still no definite explanation
as to why the condition exists
amongst humans.
Some experts believe it may
have stemmed from our earliest
ancestors and, just as other
mammals sneeze to clear their
nasal passages and heighten their
sensory organs of smell, early
humans would do the same by
sneezing at the emerging sunrise.
Others believe the sneezes are
brought about by thoughts of
sexual interest and arousal or
that light stimulates the optical
nerves which can cause the same
sensation as an irritant in the
nostril.
So, the next time you witness a
sneezing frenzy, try not to think
of Covid or the flu, instead, think
of achoo and offer a sympathetic
“bless you.”
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