Man hospitalized after holding back sneeze

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Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Man hospitalized after holding back sneeze
Tempted to stifle a loud or untimely sneeze? Doctors say it's better to let it out.

Tempted to stifle a loud or untimely sneeze? Doctors say it's better to let it out.

A newly released Medical Journal study tells the unusual case of a 34-year-old British man who actually ruptured the back of his throat.

Doctors say the previously healthy man showed up at an emergency room complaining of difficulty swallowing and a popping sensation in his swollen neck.

He told nurses the pain began after he pinched his nose and closed his mouth to stop a forceful sneeze.

He eventually lost his voice and spent a week in the hospital.

Medical experts say sneezes can produce pressurized air that can explode at speeds up to 100 miles an hour.