The perils of sneezing incorrectly

A newly published study describes what can happen if you block your nostrils and close your mouth during a sneeze — and it isn’t pretty. The following advice should be heeded.

Although no one likes a cold, you have to admit that a powerful sneeze can feel pretty good. In fact, I’ve heard that a sneeze is equivalent to one third of an orgasm.

I’m fairly sure that that statistic isn’t backed up by peer-reviewed research, but you get my point.

But, as a wise man once said, “All that glitters is not gold.” Sneezing may give you a pleasurable shiver, but, as we shall learn, it can also cause significant damage to your innards if you do it wrong.

Ruptured throat? No thanks

Spontaneous rupture of the back of the throat is a rare occurrence. When it does happen, it is most often caused by a surgical procedure gone wrong or blunt neck trauma.So, when a young, healthy 34-year-old who hadn’t been in an accident rocked up at an emergency room with a ruptured throat, the doctors were a tad perplexed.

The man explained that he had attempted to quash a sneeze by blocking his nostrils and mouth. He experienced an immediate popping sensation in his neck, which quickly swelled up. As time passed, it became painful to swallow, and his voice vanished almost entirely.

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