In what medical experts describe as the first documented instance of its sort, a man tried to hold in a sneeze and ended up rupturing his windpipe. The incident happened when the man was driving his automobile and suddenly developed hay fever. But instead of putting his finger behind his nose or allowing the sneeze to come out of control, he sealed his lips and squeezed his nose. According to a Live Science study, this peculiar sneeze control method had the exact opposite effect—the power of the suppressed sneeze created a tiny, two-by-two-millimeter hole in his windpipe. Due to the man’s closed airway, pressure built up and he sneezed 20 times harder than normal, resulting in terrible injuries.
A special condition
In this instance, the man’s windpipe, which measured 0.08 by 0.08 inches, tore due to the extreme pressure. The man’s neck was swollen on both sides, and he was in excruciating pain, so he went to get help. A slight cracking sound was noticed by the doctors as they examined him. The individual, however, had no issues speaking, breathing, or swallowing.
The man had surgical emphysema, a condition where air is trapped under the skin’s deepest tissue layers, as shown by an X-ray. A CT scan later revealed that the rip was situated between the third and fourth vertebrae in his neck. And there was a build-up of air in the space between his chest and lungs. According to the medical experts, the damage was brought on by a “rapid build-up of pressure in the trachea while sneezing with a pinched nose and closed mouth.”
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Doctors see this as a warning for others
The doctors added that surgery was not necessary for him. He did, however, spend two days in the hospital’s observation room to ensure that his vital signs—including oxygen—remained steady. Doctors gave him hay fever medication and painkillers at the time of his discharge and instructed him to stay away from physically demanding activities for two weeks. Five weeks later, a CT scan revealed that the tear had completely healed.
Several doctors stated that the case should be seen as a warning to others. “Everyone should be advised not to stifle sneezes by pinching the nose while keeping the mouth closed as it can result in tracheal (windpipe) perforation,” authors wrote in a journal.
The physicians said it is very uncommon but not impossible to injure one’s windpipe. There are extremely few reported cases, and when they do happen, it’s usually because of physical trauma or injuries from surgery, such as injuries to the thyroid gland or windpipe. According to them, depending on where the rip is and whether the patient’s vital signs are stable, surgery is typically needed to repair the damage.
