When you suddenly sneeze in a quiet situation, it can feel awkward. Therefore, people often try to hold back a sneeze by pinching their nose or closing their mouth. However, suppressing a sneeze can be harmful to health. When you hold back a sneeze, there is no outlet for the pressure to escape, and the pressure is transmitted to other parts of the body, which can cause damage to the eyes, ears, and blood vessels.

 

▷Idiopathic Esophageal Rupture

When you hold your nose and mouth while sneezing, it can cause a rupture near the esophagus. According to a case report in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), there was a patient who experienced a perforation of the pharynx, the area between the mouth and esophagus, while trying to hold back a sneeze, leading to a diagnosis of spontaneous esophageal rupture. This patient reported feeling something explode near his neck after attempting to suppress a sneeze by tightly pinching his nose and closing his mouth. During a sneeze, the pressure in the upper airway is about 1-2 kPa (kilopascal), but when the nose and mouth are closed, the pressure can increase by 5 to 20 times. This pressure can tear the pharyngeal tissue, causing a perforation.

Otitis media

 

Sneezing helps remove harmful substances like bacteria from the nose. In particular, when sneezing is suppressed during a cold or flu, it can lead to otitis media. If you hold back a sneeze and push the air carrying bacteria or infected mucus back into the middle ear, an infection can occur.

 

Facial flushing, eardrum rupture

The pressure generated when holding back a sneeze can cause the capillaries in the eyes and nose to burst. When the capillaries burst, superficial damage can occur on the face, resulting in redness and blotchiness. Additionally, red spots may appear in the eyes or small nosebleeds may occur, and in severe cases, the eardrum can rupture. Eardrum rupture usually heals within a few weeks without treatment, but it can lead to hearing loss.

 

Brain aneurysm

Holding back a sneeze and accumulating pressure in the face can cause a cerebral aneurysm. It occurs when weakened blood vessels swell, and if a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, bleeding occurs in the skull surrounding the brain, threatening life. If a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, it can cause extensive brain damage, and 3 out of 5 people die within two weeks.

 

Pneumothorax

Holding back a sneeze can cause a pneumothorax, a condition where air becomes trapped between the lungs and the chest wall. Sometimes, after suppressing a sneeze, you may feel a swelling or pain in the chest. This occurs when excessive air and pressure become trapped in the diaphragm, damaging the lung. When air is trapped, it exerts pressure on the chest muscles, including the diaphragm. If only a small amount of air is trapped, it usually resolves on its own, but if the amount is large, the condition can become serious. If not treated urgently, it can lead to death.

 

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I've heard that you shouldn't hold back a sneeze.

There are so many dangerous things like this.

 

The air pressure is said to be high.

Ears, eyes... I knew everything was getting worse, but

This is the first time I've seen detailed information.