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Mail on Sunday, 9 August 2015

We were asked by the Mail on Sunday if you can sneeze with your eyes open for the ‘Ask a stupid question’ feature.

Dr Susan Blakeney FCOptom, Clinical Adviser at the College of Optometrists, explained: “We automatically close our eyes when we sneeze thanks to a reflex mechanism that stops germs or bacteria that fly out of our nose getting into our eyes. The internet is full of tales about your eyes popping out if you sneeze with your eyes open, but this is nonsense – our eyes are firmly attached. It is physically possible to keep your eyes open when you sneeze if you hold them open with your fingers.”

This story was published in the Mail on Sunday on 9 August 2015.

August 18, 2015