Man Tears Windpipe While Holding Sneeze; Details Inside – News18

A man tore his windpipe after he tried to control his sneeze recently, which medical professionals say is the first-of-its-kind case. The incident took place when the man suddenly experienced a bout of hay fever, while driving his car. Instead of placing a finger beneath his nose or letting the sneeze go uncontrollably, he sneezed his nose and closed his mouth. The strange technique of controlling the sneeze had just the opposite effect and the force of the suppressed sneeze caused a tiny, two-by-two-millimetre hole in his windpipe. According to Live Science, the man’s airway closure caused pressure to build up which induced a sneeze that was 20 times stronger than usual sneeze which caused extensive damage to his windpipe.

The man arrived at the emergency room in severe pain, his neck was swollen from both sides and he was struggling to move it. The doctors even could hear a faint crackling sound. He, however, was able to breathe, swallow and talk.

An X-ray revealed that the man had surgical emphysema, a condition in which air gets trapped under the deepest tissue layers below the skin. A CT scan showed a tear between the third and fourth bones or vertebrae of his neck. Air also accumulated in the space between his lungs.

The doctors said that the tear was caused due to the rapid build-up of pressure in the trachea while sneezing with a pinched nose and closed mouth.

The doctors also didn’t recommend any surgery but kept the man under observation for two days to ensure that his oxygen levels and vital signs were normal. He was later discharged with pain relief medication and hay fever medications. He was also advised to not do any strenuous activities for two weeks.

A CT scan five weeks later showed that the windpipe had completely healed and the man luckily escaped the fatal injuries.

The report published by BMJ Case Reports by doctors who treated him described it as a warning to others. The doctors advised that no one should stifle sneezes by pinching the nose while keeping the mouth closed which can result in tracheal perforation (windpipe tear).