Is it possible to injure yourself by holding in a sneeze?

Question

I hold my nose when I sneeze and people have told me it is bad for me. But I've been doing it for over 30 years now, and no problems yet.

Should I be worried that some day something will happen?

Answer 1

Good quesiton and the answer can very well depend on the unique structure of your body. While some people are more tolerant than others when it comes to physical shock, there are also those who cannot tolerate even the slightest injury.

For instance, there are those who are born with hearing problems due to internal ear damage, in their case, sneezing, coughing, humming too loud and like activites will more than likely cause further damage.

On the other hand, normal beings with no apparent malfunctions in the eyes, ears, nose and throat regions should not suffer any adverse consequences by holding the nose while sneezing. That is, as long as your sneezing isn't too extravagant.

You might want to pay a visit though, to an otholaringologist and have the physician look at your ears to make sure that no damage has been caused.

So while most people should't suffer from any problmes as a result of this practice, it doesn't guarentee that you wont.

Answer 2

Did you know ... why it's dangerous to hold in a sneeze?

The old wives' tale warns us that if you hold in a sneeze, your head might explode. That won't happen, but you can do yourself some harm.
The air expelled by sneezes is said to travel up to 100 miles per hour, and an unimpeded sneeze sends 2,000-5,000 bacteria-filled droplets into the air.
Holding in a sneeze potentially can cause fractures in the nasal cartilage, nosebleeds, burst eardrums, hearing loss, vertigo, detached retinas, or temporary swelling called facial emphysema.
Therefore, it is best to let your sneeze fly, but please cover your nose and mouth.

Answer 3

You might force fluids into your sinuses or Eustachian tubes, but it sounds like you have that under control.
If you can do it safely (as apparently you can) then no, you won't harm yourself.

Though once I stifled a sneeze and ended up forcing some mucous into a place that was so uncomfortable, I started coughing like I was going to die and attracted a lot more attention than the sneeze would have.

Answer 4

Yes. It is believed that all the natural urges-yawning, farting, sneezing, laughing, weeping, showing anger, happiness should not be suppressed as doing so harms the immune system in particular. Sneezing is stimulated when a foreign particle enters the nasal cavity, so, to remove and throw away the aliens sneezing occurs. Suppressing it would mean that a lot of pressure is exerted on eyes, ears and head/brain which initiates mild headache and stiffness in neck and throat.

Answer 5

Someday...there are a lot of somedays...and when you expect disaster, you are sure to find it.

I wouldn't worry so much about holding in your sneezes; I don't suspect that you've done any damage, though as you age, if you find yourself turning to flabbiness, you may end up with a pulled muscle in your pectoral region.

Our bodies sneeze for a reason, to expell things (mites, viruses, dust), so if you can, sneeze into your sleeve, from time to time, and let that gunk out.

Answer 6

Alternative names Return to top

Sternutation
Definition Return to top

A sneeze is a sudden, forceful, involuntary burst of air through the nose and mouth.

Considerations Return to top

Sneezing is caused by irritation to the mucous membranes of the nose or throat. It can be very bothersome, but is generally not a sign of a serious problem.

Common Causes Return to top

Allergy to pollen, mold, dander, dust (hay fever)
Virus infections (common cold, upper respiratory tract infections)
Drug withdrawal
Corticosteroid inhalation
Nasal irritants such as dust and powders
so this is a way of the respiratory tract to take out things iritating it
so, sneeze is a kind of clining metod of the respiratory system and is good to do that ,

Answer 7

Sneezing is the body's attempt to remove macroscopic pathogens from the nasal canal. If you hold in the sneeze, you prevent this from happening.
But our immune systems tend to be strong enough to handle most anything, so you needn't worry unless you have a depressed immune system.

Answer 8

Well, my husband always tells me to let out my sneeze because the dust can exit the lungs. I don't think anything will happen to you exept the fact that you will sneeze seveal times in a row if you don't "let it out".- Try blowing your nose after a sneeze, that might get rid of some dust too. We are all made out of dust anyway

Answer 9

Yes, you can possibly damage your ears. If you've ever held your nose and tried to breath out your nose to open your ears (or depressurize them) then you're essentially doing the same thing by holding your nose as you sneeze. You're violently depressurizing your ears. It's possible to blow out your ear drum by doing it.

Answer 10

I have heard that it can hurt your heart or something like that but I don't remember. Either way if it's true or not I hope you feel good. Have fun doing what ever you are doing today.