Why do we always close our eyes when we sneeze?
88528
It is an involuntary reaction.  I wonder if it is to keep our eyes from popping out!  But, really, that's just how our brain directs our bodies during such a complex human action.  Do animals close their eyes when they sneeze too?
1458
Researchers aren't sure exactly why the sneeze reflex happens, but whatever neurological message tells the eyes to close probably comes from a primitive part of the brain called the medulla oblongata in the brain stem.
46066
When sinus around your nose is releasing too much liquid to your nose, and block your air passage, the sneeze mechanism in your brain tells you to sneeze.
1088641
It really serves no purpose - however, it seems that the nerves to the nose and the eye are closely related - strong smells make your eyes water, bright lights can make you sneeze, and sneezing automatically makes you shut your eyes because the nerves are all so close.
353394
The most common belief is that your soul leaves the body for a short time, so by saying "bless you! (from "bless your soul") the person would be protected. It is also true that your heart stops when you sneeze. The "bless you" is also supposed to keep the devil from entering your throat when sneezing. In Romanian, for example, we say either "health" or "luck", we don't use the "bless you".
162788
Tidbitonebox7 is on the right track.  The nerves that serve your eyes and nose are very close together, and strong stimulation of one can affect the other.  So, if you get a strong light stimulation in your eyes, it can affect your nose nerves and cause you to want to sneeze.  There are similar affects and effects throughout the body.
224264
Sorry, we don’t know why most people close their eyes when sneezing. Not all do. \n\nSome experts guess that we’ve evolved closing eyes to reduce sneeze spray landing in our eyes. However, our eyes are exposed constantly to bacteria and viruses and have good defenses without eye closing.\n\nClosing eyes (or keeping them open) is part of the sneeze reflex. It’s a reflex—meaning we have no conscious control of sneezes. Instead, the primitive part of the brain (called the medulla oblongata and located at the top of the spine) calls the shots. The reflex triggers major muscles of face, throat, and chest to fire out gunk going at 100 mph (150 kph) as fast as a pitcher’s fastball.\n\nMost people tighten the eye muscles, causing them to shut, as they tighten the other muscles involved in a sneeze. But not all do. Some sneeze with their eyes open. Either way, it’s part of the inborn sneeze reflex.\n\nIn 1888, Thomas Edison hit upon the idea of movies from looking at sequential pictures of someone sneezing
149715
It is almost impossible for a person to keep their eyelids open during a sneeze, although some rare individuals report having little if any trouble doing so.\n\nThe sneeze center makes all these muscles work in just the right order, to send that irritating particle out of your nose -- at speeds up to 100 mph
395451
No it doesn't kill brain cells. Sneezing is an automatic reaction to an irritation of the nasal passages. You should never suppress a sneeze. It can cause major ear problems, eye problems and does your vascular system no good at all.\nAs an example of how strong a sneeze is, I fractured my eye socket when sneezing and it wasnt a suppressed sneeze. I couldn't believe it. My socket was fractured and the tear duct popped out of the corner of my eye!
1049826
It is a superstition.  People used to believe that the devil could enter you when you sneezed.  God Bless You was a way for others to try to help prevent that.
545364
If you try to stop a sneeze you could rupture a vein in your brain or neck and die.\nIf, by force you keep your eyes open while you sneeze, they could leave their sockets
439532
Your eyes are always kept moisturized and when you close your eyes are shut for a long period of time the moisture gets in that little pocket in between your eyes and your nose, then the dust in the air mixes and turns it into a type of "booger". But I have always known to call those "sleet"
870320
ditto to the 2 answers above\n\nyou may get some peace from sneezing ect ... because you are relaxed\nbut you still CAN sneeze
607058
we close our eyes to keep them safe from debree and germs eg when you sneeze you automatically close your eyes this is a message from your brain to your eyes telling them that you have sneezed so to keep them closed from germs when you blink it alsokeeps your eyes moisterised \n\ntry to keep your eyes open when you sneeze
913830
its possible that when you sneeze, your eyes close reflexively, to prevent your eyes from getting contaminated by whatever is coming out of your nose and mouth.  As well, the urge to sneeze (that tingling feeling in your nose) may play a part, due to the optic nerves for your eyes laying close to the nerves for your nose and recieveing some residual signal...
98543
Some people can sneeze with their eyes open and some people can’t. Sneezing is a reflex and so is closing our eyes. We have no control over whether or not we close our eyes when we sneeze. Some people don’t have reflex, so when they sneeze then their eyes won’t close. Some people try to close their eyes so when they sneeze their eyes won’t pop out. Your eyes don’t really pop out. People without the reflex to sneeze with their eyes open can try to train themselves to sneeze with their eyes open. One good way to do this is if when you sneeze you hold your eyes open.\n\n    People think that when you close your eyes when you sneeze that you are blocking germs and bacteria. That is not true because your eyes deal with germs all the time. If you close your eyes during a sneeze, then it is just a reflex. During this part of the sneeze, we tense some of our muscles. The tensing (tightening) of our muscles causes our eyes to shut.\n\n    People that sneeze a lot can prevent sneezing. If you feel a sneeze, then use saline solution. You can also softly hold your nose at the end. These things can help your body remove things it does not want without sneezing.\n\n    No one knows the reason you close your eyes when you sneeze. There are many possibilities. Some people think it is to protect your eyes from flying goop. Most doctors think that it is still a reflex, or we just can’t help it.\n\n    Sneezing is very good for you and your body because it removes things from your body like bacteria and germs. It also is good because it keeps the tubes that carry the air from your nose to the lungs healthy. Sneezing makes your nose clear when you have a cold. If you used to hate sneezing, then I hope this has changed your mind.
352983
Yes. This is a very interesting question and have an answer everyone must know. \n\nWhenever we sneeze, our heart stops. This is the only time in the life (of a living person) when a heart stops. There has been a convention of different cultures around the world to welcome (or say welcome back) just after sneezing. These people don't know why we welcome the person who just sneezed. But the truth is that, he/she just came back from a situation between life and death.