Myth or Reality: You can’t sneeze with your eyes open

Myth or Reality: Sneezing is the process of expulsion of air from the lungs via the nose. Everyone, including animals, sneezes. Some people sneeze loudly and explosively, while others sound like they simply inhaled forcibly.

But one thing remains constant when sneezing: the eyelids remain closed. Even if you try to open your eyes while sneezing, they will close again instinctively. Sneezes are associated with a number of superstitions and urban tales. The most prevalent is that sneezing with your eyes wide will cause them to burst out of your skull. This is a common assumption that everyone has heard at least once in their lives.

Without a doubt, sneezing is a powerful phenomena that may often cause the entire body to shake. But can you sneeze with your eyes open, and will it pop them out? We put this belief to the test today. Check to see if the myth that you can’t sneeze with your eyes open is true.

What exactly is a sneeze, and how strong is it?

The sneeze, or scientifically, sternutation, is a human body defence mechanism that is mostly triggered by a foreign particle entering the nasal canal. The procedure is an independent reflex that expels air and mucous from the lungs in order to clear out the nasal cavity and cleanse the body of pollutants. Allergies, rapid changes in temperature and pressure, cold weather, and pollution are all major causes of sneezing.

A sneeze is accompanied by a forceful burst of air. Earlier estimates put the sneeze at 200 miles per hour. That is faster than some bullet trains. However, the force of sneezing has now been computed to be significantly less than previously believed. According to some research, it is little more than 10 mph, while others claim that a sneeze can generate contagious particles at speeds of up to 100 mph. Whatever the situation may be, the fact remains that sneezing is a very strong reflex that exerts a lot of pressure on your nasal cavity and face.

Why do your eyes close when you sneeze?

Nobody knows why the eyes close instinctively when you sneeze. Scientists believe it occurs to shield the eyes from the toxins that are discharged. It may also be related to involuntary muscular contractions of the face, as sneezing involves many muscles, including those around the eyes. As a result, when they constrict, the eyelids close as well. However, there is currently no link between the ocular muscles and those utilised during sneezing.

Is it possible to sneeze while keeping your eyes open?

Finally, and most importantly, it is feasible to sneeze while keeping your eyes open. However, it necessitates additional work, which doctors advise against. Given that you blink 15-20 times per minute, the eyelid muscles are among the strongest and most sensitive in the body. It is difficult to use them to hold the eyelids open during a strong involuntary reflex activity like sneezing. But it’s not impossible. Many YouTubers and researchers have completed the job by taping their eyelids to their foreheads or holding their eyes wide while sneezing.

What if you sneeze when your eyes are open?

There are several examples of sneezing while keeping your eyes open. Mythbusters, a renowned Discovery Channel show, even devoted an episode to it. Finally, it was discovered that it is possible to sneeze with your eyes open and that nothing bad will happen to your eyes. The muscles around the eye sockets are strong enough to retain them in place. So far, there have been no reports of eyes popping out of heads as a result of sneezing.

However, there is a disorder known as globe luxation in which the eye dislocates and bulges out. Trauma and manipulation of the eyelids are the most common causes of globe luxation, although it can also be caused by crying, blowing your nose, bending over, and sneezing in extremely rare circumstances. However, these cases were so uncommon that the likelihood of them occurring is nil.

Bottomline

As a result, the myth that you can’t sneeze with your eyes open is debunked. If you try to do so, your eyes will not pop out of your skull. There is a risk that your eyes will somewhat protrude out, although this can happen without sneezing as well. Furthermore, it is usually a good idea to keep the pollutants your body is excreting OUT! of the body. So, while sneezing, keep your eyes closed.

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