The Worst Sneeze Ever
If you’ve ever had the temptation to stifle a sneeze, this case should dissuade you. In December, doctors in the UK reported on a man who ripped a hole in his windpipe by trying to hold in sneezing.
The man likely had a tendency to sneeze a lot, since he had a history of hay fever. While driving his car one day, he made the unfortunate decision to plug his mouth and nose just as he was about to sneeze. It didn’t take long for him to regret that decision, as he immediately felt neck pain bad enough to warrant a visit to the ER. Once there, doctors confirmed that he had suffered a spontaneous tracheal perforation.
As far as the doctors know, this was the first documented case of someone tearing their windpipe by holding in a sneeze. But other people have fractured ribs, burst eardrums, and even ruptured blood vessels in the brain from trying to keep their sneezes in—which is exactly why doctors recommend not ever trying to do so.
Fortunately, the man’s injury was relatively mild and he recovered completely in a month’s time.
