Gruesome warning after man tears hole in throat while trying to stifle a sneeze

13 December 2023 , 16:56

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A man tried to stifle a sneeze while driving to keep his concentration on the road - but with horrific consequences (file photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Doctors have issued a chilling warning after a man tore a hole in his throat while trying to stifle a sneeze.

The man was driving at the time when he felt the sneeze brewing and held his nose and closed his mouth to keep his concentration on the road. But in an unprecedented case, the man, who is in his 30s and from Scotland, suddenly felt a shooting excruciating pain.

He was forced to go to hospital where medics made a disturbing discovery. Doctors noticed a cracking sound when they touched his neck and that he could no longer control movement in his throat.

CT scans performed at the hospital in Dundee found a 2mm tear in his windpipe, caused by 20x increased pressure from closing the airways during a sneeze. The tear, medics said, was caused by a "rapid build-up of pressure in the trachea while sneezing with a pinched nose and closed mouth".

The man tore a 2mm by 2mm hole in his windpipe (BMJ)

Thankfully, the man's tear was able to fully heal within five weeks. But doctors have now shared the incident in a gruesome warning to others about the risks of trying to curb a sneeze.

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The case was documented by medics at Dundee University in the latest issue of the medical journal BMJ Case Reports. They said it should serve as a warning to people never to stifle a sneeze.

Dr Rasads Misirovs, the report's lead author, said: "We suspect the trachea perforated due to a rapid build-up of pressure in the trachea while sneezing with a pinched nose and closed mouth. Everyone should be advised not to stifle sneezes by pinching the nose while keeping the mouth closed as it can result in tracheal perforation."

Doctors say it's the first such known case of this happening (BMJ)

He added: "Conservative management of tracheal tears is an option in clinically stable patients not requiring mechanical ventilation with small tracheal tears. The patients must be closely monitored as inpatients for 24 to 48 hours for any deterioration."

Medics added that the unnamed man, who they said had a history of allergies and throat irritation, did not need surgery. But he was kept in hospital for two days to ensure his oxygen levels and other vital signs stayed steady.

He was then discharged and given pain relief and hayfever medications. His doctors also told him not to do any strenuous physical activity for two weeks. Five weeks later, a CT scan revealed that the tear had completely healed.

Susie Beever