In a rare event, a man suffered a potentially life-threatening tear in his windpipe after attempting to hold his sneeze, as reported in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The 30-year-old was rushed to the Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where his scans revealed that he had experienced a 2mm tear in his windpipe.
The study authors wrote, "We report a tracheal perforation following sneezing, which, to our knowledge, has not been reported before," sharing that the normal pressure during a sneeze is 1-2 kPA; however, if the mouth and nose are closed, it could increase up to 20 times.
They added, “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.”
Also Read: Do You Sneeze A Lot? You May Have Allergic Rhinitis, ENT Doctor Explains
The Cause
The common causes of tracheal perforation or windpipe damage are infections, sores or ulcerations due to foreign objects, and traumatic injury or complications from surgery. This includes a thyroidectomy, or removal of the thyroid gland, as per the case report.
According to the report, the unnamed man had a history of allergic rhinitis.
In an interaction with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Niveditha Damodharan, ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, Apollo Spectra Hospital, said that sneezing, along with post-nasal drip, throat irritation, itchiness, and hyposmia, can be a sign of allergic rhinitis, which is present in 20-30% of the Indian population.
Symptoms That Were Reported
According to the report, the patient did not experience any breathing difficulties (dyspnea), an abnormal voice (dysphonia), or difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
His symptoms mainly involved severe neck pain and swelling, for which he received pain medication. No medical intervention was required in the case of the 30-year-old patient.
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After 48 hours of observation, the patient was discharged with analgesia and long-term allergic rhinitis treatment. He was further advised to avoid strenuous physical activities for two weeks and to stifle his sneezes.
Takeaway
A similar incident occurred in 2018 when a man tried to hold his sneeze, suffering a perforation of the throat, as recorded in the BMJ.
Doctors from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust wrote, “He described a popping sensation in his neck and some neck swelling after he tried to halt a sneeze."
Therefore, the authors involved in the latest case report concluded, "Everyone should be advised not to stifle sneezes by pinching the nose while keeping the mouth closed, as it can result in tracheal perforation, as reported here."