From ejected bowels to torn windpipes – all the horrifying ways sneezing can damage your body

WHAT do you think triggered someone’s bowels to burst inside their body?

A stabbing perhaps? Or a horrible road-crushing accident?

1

You probably couldn’t even begin to imagine something as seemingly harmless as a sneeze could have caused such a horrific injury.

But that’s exactly what happened to a man in the US.

The 63-year-old, from Florida, recently underwent abdominal surgery and doctors claimed his incision had healed well.

But when he was at a diner having breakfast with his wife, he noticed a “wet” sensation followed by a sharp pain.

He then lifted his shirt and saw several inches of his bowel hanging out of his stomach.

Paramedics quickly arrived on the scene and witnessed a three-inch opening with “large amounts of bowel” protruding through it.

He was rushed to the hospital, where surgeons successfully returned his bowel to his abdomen – but this all happened as a result of a sneeze.

A sneeze is a protective reflex made by your body to get rid of potentially harmful things – such as dust, bacteria and viruses – from your nose.

And it can be pretty powerful, expelling tens of thousands of droplets at up to 100 miles per hour, according to the American Lung Association (ALA). 

But with such great power, comes great risk.

BRAIN INJURIES TO HEARING LOSS

For instance, there have been horrific instances of violent sneezing causing the lungs to pop out between the ribs.

But this usually only happens to those who are morbidly obese, smoke or have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or diabetes.

There are also reported cases of sneezing tearing the delicate tissues of the lungs.

But the lungs aren’t the only thing that can tear.

People have also been unlucky enough to tear the delicate lining of the brain from sneezing.

This can lead to a stroke which can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

Even if you don’t tear this lining, a sneeze can still affect the brain.

There have been reports of people suffering weakness on one side of the body or sight issues following a sneeze.

There are case reports of people fracturing bones in the faces.

It’s also possible to rupture your eardrum during a particularly powerful sneeze – which can cause hearing loss.

Doctors have reported dental implants dislodging themselves into other parts of the face from a powerful sneeze.

On a lighter note, sometimes a simple sneeze can cause muscle strain, which can trigger back pain.

DON’T HOLD IT IN

And for those trying to hold in a sneeze, the risks are just as ghastly.

One man tore a hole in his throat after he tried to stifle a bout of sneezing by pinching his nose and closing his mouth while driving.

The pressure from the sneeze was so great it tore a 0.08-inch hole in his windpipe and he had to rush to the hospital.

Others have fractured bones in their face, damaged their larynx (voice box) and torn the tissues in their chest that protect the lungs.

Ever been told holding in a sneeze might cause your eyes to pop out of your sockets? Well thankfully, this is just an old wive’s tale.

Your eyes are strongly held in place by muscles and a nerve that keeps them in place.

In most cases, sneezing is perfectly safe.

“Our body is well adapted to sneeze,” Professor Adam Taylor from Lancaster University wrote in the Conversation.

“So you probably don’t need to worry about suffering any injuries as many of these harms only happen in very rare circumstances.”