Stifling a sneeze can be dangerous

A man was admitted to Accident and Emergency department in a hospital in UK after the attempt

Doctors warned stifling a sneeze can be dangerous after one man ruptured the back of his throat while doing so, reports The Guardian.

A 34-year old man arrived in Accident and Emergency (A&E) department in a hospital with a change to his voice, a swollen neck, pain when swallowing and a popping sensation in his neck after he pinched his nose to stop himself from sneezing.

The team discovered bubbles of air in the tissues at the back of his throat and neck from the base of the skull to halfway down the man’s back. A tear occurred in the back of his throat and air collected in his soft tissues.

“For reasons of propriety and etiquette, one sometimes stops a sneeze. However on unfortunate rare occasions it might lead to potentially serious complications,” said Doctor Sudip Das, co-author of the report from the University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service (NHS) Trust, in UK.

Shahz Ahmed, an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant and skull base surgeon at University Hospital Birmingham who was not involved in the case, commented that there is hardly any evidence saying one should not hold a sneeze since complications arising from doing so are very rare.

“A known weakness in the wall of the voice box, throat, gullet or the lung may predispose the patient to such complications,’’ Vas stated, adding,“even then the condition is rare.”

After being admitted, the patient was given intravenous antibiotics to prevent infection and was tube-fed to aid healing.  Scans a week later showed no signs of air bubbles. The patient was then discharged with advice to avoid blocking both nostrils while sneezing.

This article originally appears on The Guardian.