A MAN tore a hole in his throat after holding in a sneeze, doctors have revealed in the first known case of its kind. The unnamed Scottish patient, in his 30s, tried to stifle a bout of sneezing by pinching his nose and closing his mouth while driving. 2 A man in Scotland tore a hole in his throat after holding in a sneeze, doctors have revealed 2 In the first known case of its kind, he ripped a small hole between the third and fourth bones of his neck The pressure from the sneeze was so great it tore a 0.
08in hole in his windpipe and he had to rush to hospital. He was in agonising pain and doctors could hear a crackling noise when he breathed , although he was still able to talk, swallow and breathe. Dr Rasads Nisirovs, of the University of Dundee, said the case should serve as a warning to people not to try and hold in a sneeze.
He said: “Everyone should be advised not to stifle sneezes by pinching the nose while keeping the mouth closed as it can result in tracheal perforation.” The man suffered from allergic rhinitis, a common condition where the nose becomes irritated by something you’re allergic to, like pollen. It can cause sneezing, an itchy, runny or blocked nose , itchy, red and watery eyes, a cough and an itchy roof of the mouth.
Many people refer to it as hay fever, which affects around a quarter of British adults, according to Allergy UK. Sneezing causes pressure in the airways to increase, but holding them in can cause this build-up to be around 20 times h.
