For The Sake Of Your Health, Never Hold In Your Sneezes
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Libby Ryan
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who sneeze loudly and proudly (using a tissue for cover, of course) and those who choose to hold in their sneezes. And the latter, while sounding like the least offensive folks in the bunch, is running some pretty serious health risks.
When you look into the science behind them, sneezes are pretty fascinating. Thanks to the incredible force of air pressure that builds up in your lungs prior to letting loose, a typical sneeze propels 100,000 germs (gross) out of your nasal cavity at 100 miles per hour. Let’s take a moment to appreciate how freaking impressive that is.
Now, you obviously don’t want to spew all of those germs all over the place, which is why the lovely Kleenex were invented. But what’s worse is forcing that insane amount of pressure backward and into your Eustachian tube (the canal in the middle of your ear), as well as the middle ear cavity. One super powerful sneeze could lead to some serious ear damage, like a ruptured eardrum or even permanent hearing loss. Ouch.
The really unlucky people out there could also end up with a diaphragm injury since that’s a major part of the torso utilized in sneezing. We’ve even known people personally who have fully separated ribs from holding in a mighty ah-choo. (Yes, really.) You could also risk bursting blood vessels in the white parts of your eyes. Pretty, right?
Maybe you find sneezing at inopportune moments embarrassing or disgusting, but we would take a moment of self-consciousness over these potential health risks any day. After all, sneezing is a part of life and everyone knows it. So just let it out, always cover your mouth and offer an “excuse me” for your involuntary outburst. We’re pretty sure everyone will understand (and appreciate not having to rush you to the emergency room).
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