text: why is that when you sneeze you close your eyes? every time you sneeze you close you eyes, so what would happen if you kept them open while you sneezed? a sneeze is simply an involuntary nervous response to nasal irritation. according to this nifty science blog entry, the sneeze impulse affects a variety of body parts, including the abdomen, chest, neck, and face. during a sneeze, the impulses that travel through your face cause your eyelids to blink. this response is entirely automatic. there's nothing you can do about it. sneezing puts a lot of pressure on your head and respiratory system, so blinking is probably a protective mechanism.      the point is that all of these responses (the abdominal contraction, the sharp burst of air out of your lungs, the general lunging movement) are intertwined. when you sneeze, you can't do one without the other.