Photic sneezers; does the light sensitivity change/fluctuate?

[Chanel_no5]

So, all of you who are photic, I have a question: does the light sensitivity fluctuate for you? It does for me. I'm always photic, but sometimes it's actual light that makes me sneeze, and sometimes it can be so intense that looking at a white wall or the computer screen can set me off. I haven't found any logic to this, it doesn't seem to be hormone-linked (my body does a lot of weird things in relation to hormone fluctuations so I always link everything to that), and it doesn't have predictable time periods either (it's not like I'm particularly sensitive for a month and then not as much, or that it stays one way for years before changing, it seems to be very floating, but it's longer than just a few days or weeks.)

So yeah, I guess this is a typical, classic "does anyone else..." question.   

 

[l226268]

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Edited August 21, 2022 by quail

[•.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.•]

might it depend on the relative brightnrss/darkness of other things around u? like if you're in a brightly lit room maybe looking at a white screen or wall might have a different effect on you than if you're sitting in a shadowy area and look at that same screen or wall?

[Matt alacran]

Mine seems to fluctuate based on the light level I’m currently acclimated to. Like walking out of a movie theatre even the lights in the bathroom make me sneeze, but if I’ve been outside for a while and I there’s like flash photography I’m completely fine.

[MysteryGirl]

Mine changes a little bit, but not too much honestly. Depending on how strong the urge to sneeze is to begin with, I'll need a brighter light. For example, if I'm already about to sneeze and I look at even a dim light or a slightly cloudy sky, that'll be enough to push me over the edge. In a circumstance where I have no need to sneeze but I just stare at a light, I need something very bright to be able to create enough of a tickle to sneeze.

If anyone lives in an area with snow and is a photic sneezer they'll understand how crazy bright it can be when sunlight reflects off the snow. I step outside in the winter on a sunny day and I immediately need to sneeze due to how overwhelmingly bright it is. 

[Chanel_no5]

4 hours ago, Losseneth said:

It's really annoying when I am in a car, for example, driving and looking for a parking space in a strip mall or something, lol.

Oh God, yes!   Driving is the worst situation to be photic. And the constant going in and out of the sun like that, it's really annoying. It's like "yeah, it's cute once, but come on, I'm trying to do something here!"   I can't drive without sunglasses on sunny days, I just don't dare to. 

3 hours ago, •.*°•☆. Q .☆•°*.• said:

might it depend on the relative brightnrss/darkness of other things around u? like if you're in a brightly lit room maybe looking at a white screen or wall might have a different effect on you than if you're sitting in a shadowy area and look at that same screen or wall?

Nope, there's no difference in the lighting/environment. 🤷‍♀️ It's prolonged periods of time that I'm more or less sensitive, months or years, the light/environment conditions can be the exact same. Really weird. I've always felt like photic sneezes are different than "regular" sneezes because it feels like they happen behind my eyes, like my nose isn't tickling, the tickle is behind my eyes. So maybe it has more to do with light sensitivity in general, and the photic reflex is affected by whatever fluctuations there is in my light sensitivity... I don't know.   It seems like that might have something to do with it, if it's not a common thing among other photic sneezers.

3 hours ago, Matt alacran said:

Mine seems to fluctuate based on the light level I’m currently acclimated to. Like walking out of a movie theatre even the lights in the bathroom make me sneeze, but if I’ve been outside for a while and I there’s like flash photography I’m completely fine.

Yeah, that seems to be the way the photic reflex works for most people. It's interesting. 

55 minutes ago, MysteryGirl said:

If anyone lives in an area with snow and is a photic sneezer they'll understand how crazy bright it can be when sunlight reflects off the snow. I step outside in the winter on a sunny day and I immediately need to sneeze due to how overwhelmingly bright it is. 

YES! This! And that's what I'm like when I'm "less sensitive". When I'm "more sensitive", looking at snow that reflects sunlight for more than a second or two will make me sneeze even if I've already been outside for a while. And when the sunlight reflects on wet or icy roads... oh God. Whoever invented sunglasses can never get enough credit, I'm just sayin'... 

 

[Rhomberg Rabbit]

Only ol' Mr. Sun does it for me

[Chillted96]

My question is, are most photic sneezers rapid fire multi sneezers or single/double sneezers. I've seen a few times where photic sneezers go into rapid fits of 4-10 in a row.

[Sawyer]

I haven't seen anyone mention this yet, but mine has changed with medication. I was taking something last year that permanently lowered my seizure threshold as a side effect (sorry, not sexy), and I'm a lot more sensitive to light now in general. It may wear off eventually, though!

[iojo]

after the first sneeze/sneezes from whatever lightsource, photic stops working

[Chanel_no5]

On 9/14/2020 at 1:36 AM, Chillted96 said:

My question is, are most photic sneezers rapid fire multi sneezers or single/double sneezers. I've seen a few times where photic sneezers go into rapid fits of 4-10 in a row.

I usually only sneeze once or twice. But since I can look away for a little while and then look at the light source again and sneeze again, I can get several singles/doubles over a short period of time. 

On 9/14/2020 at 4:09 PM, Sen Beret said:

I haven't seen anyone mention this yet, but mine has changed with medication. I was taking something last year that permanently lowered my seizure threshold as a side effect (sorry, not sexy), and I'm a lot more sensitive to light now in general. It may wear off eventually, though!

Oh DUDE! I haven't switched medications, but now that we're on the subject of health, I do have a chronic illness that is related to light. Yeah I'm a vampire, so shove a stake through my heart and call me Dracula. 🧛‍♀️ Seriously, the flareups can come in all kinds of neurological forms, as it can hit the CNS, and that might have something to do with it. The effects usually last quite a long time. Interesting...  (and I hope you're doing better now, regardless of what the health problem was about.  ) 

 

[atchoum]

On 9/13/2020 at 9:17 PM, Chanel_no5 said:

I've always felt like photic sneezes are different than "regular" sneezes because it feels like they happen behind my eyes, like my nose isn't tickling, the tickle is behind my eyes.

What a good description of something that's so hard to put in words !  You have really hit the spot.

[Chanel_no5]

It's a very odd sensation.   It really feels like a sneeze-tickle, but behind the eyes rather than inside the nose. Talk about being wired strangely.  

 

[Danachoo]

For me it almost immediately goes away after the first sneeze. I'll have to wait a few hours inside before a can get the reflex to kick in again. 

[Roza]

I don't think it fluctuates for me and also I get a couple of sneezes at best.