text: why do i close my eyes when i sneeze? why is it that everytime i sneeze i'm not able to keep my eyes open, even if i try ? closing your eyes is a natural reaction for several reasons: strong wind blasts and, of course, sneezing. it's mainly to keep your eyes protected from the resulting dust and mist. your eyes will not pop out of your head, your actual sockets would hold them in! this is a myth. i don't know how it got started, but it's not true.