LONDON A 97-year-old widow has regained her sight after a series of prolonged sneezing fits, according to news reports Saturday.

Gladys Adamson, who lives near Cambridge, said she had been "almost blind" for about five years and described her sudden recovery as a "miracle".

A charity for the blind, which has been working with Adamson for several years, said it had never known a case like it.

"I looked in the mirror one morning and suddenly I could see myself clearly," said Adamson. "My hair was white, and it was just turning gray when I last saw it.

"It's a miracle. But I believe that miracles do happen."

Adamson said in the weeks before she regained her sight she had suffered a series of prolonged sneezing fits which had made her eyes water badly.

"It wasn't a cold but they were really severe sneezing fits," she said. "The tears made my eyes sting. It felt as if my skin was being scalded.

"I wasn't totally blind before. I could see a bit. But now I can see quite well again. I can see colors and faces quite clearly and can get around without my glasses."

Adamson has been a member of Cambridge charity Camsight, which works with the blind, for several years.

Deborah Loveluck, the charity's fund raising manager, said: "Her sight has certainly improved. She can make out forms and she certainly couldn't do that before."

(DPA)