Ever have the urge to sneeze and decide to hold it in to minimize the sound? Experts say this is not a good thing to do. One man in Dundee, Scotland found out the hard way why it is not wise to hold in a sneeze. While driving the individual felt a sternutation about to happen and decided to plug his nose while keeping his mouth shut.
What Happens When You Sneeze
Sneezing is a sudden, uncontrolled, forceful bursts of air that exits the body through the mouth or nose. Furthermore, it begins when tiny nerve endings in the nose detect something irritating it. Then, a signal is transmitted to the brain alerting it of the detection. Next, the brain tells the body to expel the irritant.
Moreover, the signals tell the abdominal and chest muscles to activate. When this happens the lungs become compressed which produces a blast of air. A sneeze can travel up to 100 miles per hour. Additionally, it can spray a cloud of 100,000 germs.
Which is why experts recommend people to cover their mouths with the crook of their arm or tissue. However, some people choose to plug the air’s exit holes instead. Something that experts are warning people not to do.
When One Man Sneezed
The 30-year-old man in Dundee ended up in the hospital after he tried to stop the sneeze from leaving his body. The doctors took scans of his throat and revealed he had a two millimeter tear in his windpipe.
Additionally, the tear was caused because both the nose and the mouth had been closed during the sneeze. University of Dundee medics stated the pressure in the upper airways can increase by roughly 20 times. Furthermore, sneezing with both exits closed can also cause other injuries such as:
- Aneurysms.
- Ruptured eardrums.
- Even broken ribs.
Furthermore, the doctors heard a cracking sound after they touched his neck. They discovered the patient did not have control of the movement. Luckily, the man did not need to have surgery. However, the hospital kept him for observation. Moreover, the doctors prescribed him painkillers and allergy medications for hayfever.
Lesson Learned
Whether it’s due to certain pollen, illness, or other triggers, allowing the sneeze to happen is always the best answer.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
BBC: Doctors’ warning after man tears hole in throat trying to stop sneeze
Medline Plus: Sneezing
WebMD: Anatomy of a Sneeze
Featured Image Courtesy of Paladin27‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Megan Myers’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
