Man Tears Trachea by Stifling Sneeze, Doctors Warn Against Suppressing Sneezes

The UK man, who has a history of hay fever, experienced severe neck pain and was hospitalized; he fully recovered after five weeks.

A man in his 30s from the United Kingdom tore his trachea by trying to stifle a sneeze while driving.
The man, who has a history of allergic rhinitis (hay fever), experienced severe neck pain and was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland.
Scans showed the man suffered a tear in the trachea, also known as the windpipe, a rare and potentially life-threatening condition.
Doctors advised the man to avoid strenuous physical activities for 2 weeks and during a 5-week check up, another CT scan showed that the tear had healed.
Doctors warn that holding back a sneeze can lead to serious injuries such as a ruptured eardrum, rupture of blood vessels to the eye or nose, rupture of a brain aneurysm or rib fractures.