Don’t hold in a sneeze — why doctors say it could actually kill you

If you’ve been guilty of holding in a sneeze, this warning is for achoo.

A man in his 30s who had a history of allergies tore his windpipe after trying to hold in his sneeze, according to a case reported in the British Medical Journal recently.

This is the first recorded sneeze injury of its kind and it could have been fatal, British doctors said. 

The man tried to stifle his sneeze by closing his nose and mouth which made air escape into his into his chest and neck, and it ripped his tissue causing a windpipe tear, also known as a tracheal tear.

The tear was caused by the increase in air pressure in his throat which was 20 times higher than normal.

He sought help from the Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland where he complained about neck pain following his painful sneeze.

Doctors observed a cracking sound when they touched the man’s neck and he didn’t have control of movement in that area. They eventually found a tear the size of a sesame seed. 

“We suspect the trachea perforated due to a rapid build-up of pressure in the trachea while sneezing with a pinched nose and closed mouth,” physicians wrote.

This is the first time doctors have noted a tracheal tear caused by a stifled sneeze. The complication is more commonly caused after surgery to remove the thyroid gland or after the insertion of a breathing tube in someone’s throat to help them breathe.  

Sometimes a tear can lead to fatal breathing problems or infections and might require surgery if the tear hits the area around the lungs. 

In this case, the man didn’t require surgery, he was treated with paracetamol and codeine and stayed in the hospital for 2 days.

Doctors warned him not to hold in any more sneezes and told him to avoid exercise for two weeks. They gave him allergy medication to resolve his congestion.

He healed naturally five weeks later and his scans were normal.