“Don’t hold it in”… There are even cases where people held it in until the very end and ended up with a hole in ‘this place’.

It can be awkward to suddenly sneeze in a quiet situation. Consequently, people often cover their noses or close their mouths to hold back the sneeze. However, suppressing a sneeze is harmful to your health. This is because holding back a sneeze leaves the air pressure with nowhere to escape, causing it to be transferred to other parts of the body, which can damage the eyes, ears, and blood vessels.

 

▷ Idiopathic esophageal rupture

Blocking the nose and mouth while sneezing can cause the area near the esophagus to rupture. According to a case report in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), there is a case of a patient diagnosed with idiopathic esophageal rupture after a perforation occurred in the pharynx—the part between the mouth and the esophagus—while suppressing a sneeze. The patient reported feeling something explode near their throat while trying to hold back a sneeze by tightly pinching their nose and closing their mouth. This is because while the pressure in the upper airway during a sneeze is about 1–2 kPa (kilopascals), closing the mouth and nose increases the pressure by 5 to 20 times. This pressure tears the pharyngeal tissue, causing a perforation.

▷ Otitis Media

 

Sneezing serves to remove harmful substances from the nose, such as bacteria. In particular, suppressing a sneeze while suffering from a cold or the flu can lead to otitis media. If you hold back a sneeze and force air carrying bacteria or infected mucus back into the middle ear, an infection will occur.

 

▷ Facial flushing, ruptured eardrum

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

 

▷ Cerebral aneurysm

Suppressing a sneeze and allowing pressure to build up in the face can lead to a cerebral aneurysm. It occurs when weakened blood vessels swell; if a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, it causes bleeding in the skull surrounding the brain, posing a life-threatening risk. A ruptured blood vessel in the brain can cause extensive brain damage, and three out of five people die within two weeks.

 

▷ Pneumothorax

Suppressing a sneeze can lead to pneumothorax, a condition in which air becomes trapped between the lungs and the chest wall. You may experience chest distension or pain after holding back a sneeze. This occurs when too much air and pressure become trapped in the diaphragm, damaging the lungs; trapped air exerts pressure on the diaphragm, a chest muscle. While a small amount of trapped air usually resolves on its own, a large volume can lead to a serious condition. Without urgent treatment, it can even result in death.

 

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

There are so many dangerous things like this.

 

They say the atmospheric pressure is high.

I knew that my ears and eyes were all getting worse,

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