A man tore a hole in his throat as he attempted to stifle a sneeze.
The unnamed patient – who is in his 30s – was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in agony after he pinched his nose and closed his mouth in a bid to prevent the sneeze.
Scans revealed that he had suffered a 2mm tear in his windpipe and medics at the University of Dundee explained that pressure in the upper airways can be multiplied by 20 if both mouth and nose are closed during a sneeze – leading to injuries including ruptured eardrums and broken ribs.
The case is documented in the medical journal BMJ Case Reports and lead author Dr. Rasads Misirovs urged people to let sneezes out when needed.
He said: “We should gently cover the face either with our hand or inner side of the elbow to prevent the irritants such as viruses, together with saliva, mucus reaching others around us.”
