🤧 Doctors warn: Never try to block a sneeze
A simple sneeze turned nearly life-threatening for a 34-year-old man in the UK when he tried to suppress it by pinching his nose and closing his mouth. The trapped pressure ruptured his windpipe, forcing air into the soft tissues of his neck and chest—a rare but dangerous condition called spontaneous pneumomediastinum.
Sneezes can eject air at nearly 100 mph, generating pressures over 1 psi inside the body. If this force is blocked, it can redirect into unintended areas, leading to burst blood vessels, ruptured eardrums, or throat injuries.
In this case, the man recovered without surgery, but doctors caution that suppressing sneezes can cause serious harm. The safest approach? Let it out—into a tissue, your elbow, or sleeve—to protect both yourself and those around you.
📖 Source: BMJ Case Reports (1 Dec 2023) – Spontaneous Tracheal Perforation Following a Sneeze
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