Trying to contain a sneeze is not a good idea. Indeed, groped to block it can lead to very serious consequences. This is confirmed by the story of a 34-year-old man who was perfectly healthy and ended up in the hospital after stopping a sneeze closing the nose and mouth at the same time. His case has found space on the British Medical Journal since the sneeze block has resulted in a rare perforation of the pharynx. A break that generally occurs as a result of particular trauma to the neck or in case of violent and continuous vomiting or intense cough but which, however, occurred as a result of the reversal of the air flow in stopping the release of the sneeze with the hand. A rare case, testified by the medical reports of the Leicester Royal Infirmary, in England.
During the visit to the emergency room, the man reported that he warned immediately severe pain in the throat. With each breath, he complained of crackling sounds, as well as not being able to speak correctly. Furthermore, his neck swelled progressively with each breath. Subjected to diagnostic tests, he was found to have perforation of the pharyngeal mucosa with consequent infiltration of air into the soft tissues of the subcutaneous neck. The condition required hospitalization, administration of intravenous antibiotics, and insertion of a feeding tube.
After a one-week hospitalization, the man was discharged in good health. “Stopping sneezing by closing the nose and mouth is a dangerous maneuver that should be avoided – the doctors write in the case report -. It can lead to numerous complications, such as pneumomediastinum, eardrum perforation and even rupture of brain aneurysms“. Among the main risks, also the rupture of the capillaries of the respiratory tract and conjunctiva, the appearance of inguinal hernias and lesions of the diagram.
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