The Most Embarrassing Lung Injury Ever
Masturbation might not make you go blind but, apparently, it can tear a hole in your lungs. In April, doctors from Switzerland reported on a 20-year-old man who visited the emergency room with stabbing chest pain, trouble breathing, and a swollen face—symptoms that began while he was masturbating. Chest scans revealed that he had developed pneumomediastinum, a rare condition that can be caused by a tear in certain lung membranes that allows air to leak out.
Pneumomediastinum has been known to be caused by vigorous activity during sex, but as far as the doctors could tell, this was the first reported instance of masturbation being the culprit. Fortunately, the condition usually isn’t serious and often clears up on its own. And though the man was sent to the ICU for an overnight stay, his symptoms went away within four days.
