Can you sneeze with your eyes open? Scientists finally reveal the eye-popping truth

It’s a rumour that has circulated in playgrounds around the world for years. 

So, if you sneeze with your eyes open, will they really pop out of your head? 

Dr David Huston, a professor of medicine at Texas A&M University, has settled the debate once and for all. 

Contrary to popular belief, it’s ‘absolutely possible’ to sneeze with your eyes open, the expert reassures. 

Closing your eyes while you blast out a sneeze is simply an autonomic reflex. 

This means your body does it without you needing to consciously think about it. 

And if you do manage to ignore this reflex, you’ll be relieved to hear that your eyes will not pop out of your head.  

‘The fact that it is possible to sneeze with the eyes open suggests that it is not hard–wired or mandatory,’ Dr Huston said.  

It’s a rumour that has circulated in playgrounds around the world for years. So, if you sneeze with your eyes open, will they really pop out of your head? (stock image)

Sneezing is when your body forcibly expels air from your lungs through your nose and mouth.

Usually, this happens when something infectious enters your nostrils – whether it’s a virus, an allergen or a chemical.  

‘Your body uses sneezing as a defense mechanism to clear your nose of mucus – also known as snot – and prevent foreign objects and particles from entering your airway,’ explained Meg Sorg, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at Purdue University in an article for The Conversation. 

Sneezing can also occur in reaction to more unusual stimuli. 

‘Chemicals like piperine or capsaicin found in foods like black pepper and chili peppers can irritate the nerve endings inside your nose’s mucous membranes and lead to a sneeze,’ Ms Sorg added. 

What’s more, some people experience something called ‘photosneezia’, where light can trigger a sneeze. 

Regardless of the type of sneeze, one thing is certain – most people close their eys when this happens. 

While the reason for this reflex remains unclear, Dr Huston suggest it may be a way to protect your eyes from germs. 

Contrary to popular belief, it’s ‘absolutely possible’ to sneeze with your eyes open, the expert reassures. Pictured: Claudio Paulo Pinto pops his eyeballs out of their sockets

‘The body works to rid its airways by sneezing when it detects irritating particles in the nose,’ he explained. 

‘By automatically shutting the eyelids when a sneeze occurs, more irritants can potentially be prevented from entering and aggravating the eyes.’

Though your eyes do automatically close in response to a sneeze, technically you could fight the reflex, and keep them open. 

Thankfully, Dr Huston confirmed that playground claims that this would cause your eyes to pop out are ‘far–fetched tales’. 

‘There is little to no evidence to substantiate such claims,’ he said. 

‘Pressure released from a sneeze is extremely unlikely to cause an eyeball to pop out even if your eyes are open.’

When pressure builds up in your eyes, usually it’s in the blood vessels, and not the eyes or surrounding muscles, Dr Huston added. 

In certain scenarios, this can cause your smallest blood vessels – called capillaries – to burst.  

‘During childbirth, excessive straining can cause some veins to hemorrhage, leaving a mother’s eyes or face to appear red or markedly bruised,’ Dr Huston said, 

‘But it is irresponsible to claim that such pressure could dislodge the eye from its socket.’