3 Health Risks of Holding in a Sneeze | Advanced ENT & Allergy

If you feel a sneeze coming on when you’re out at dinner or reading at the Pinelands Library, you might be tempted to hold it in. After all, you don’t want to draw attention to yourself or worry those around you that you might be spreading germs or illness. However good-intentioned, holding in a sneeze actually has the potential to cause injury.

Why This Happens

Most people probably don’t realize just how powerful a sneeze can be. When you sneeze, your body produces pressure in your respiratory system. Sneezing produces significantly more pressure in your respiratory system than breathing hard during strenuous activities like going for a run.

Researchers have found that holding in a sneeze creates 5 to 24 times more pressure than a regular sneeze. This increase in pressure is the reason why injury is a possibility.

In most cases, holding in a sneeze will probably only cause a headache or pop your eardrums. Occasionally more serious issues can occur.

Ruptured Eardrum

Holding in a sneeze can cause some of that pressure from your respiratory system to travel to your ears. It’s possible the pressure could be great enough to rupture your eardrum. This means the membrane separating your outer ear from your inner ear tears. This can cause temporary hearing loss and may allow bacteria to enter the ear and cause an infection. A ruptured eardrum can take months to heal.

Damage to Blood Vessels

The increased pressure caused by a sneeze that’s held in also has the potential to damage the blood vessels in your eyes and nose. While this won’t cause any serious damage, it can cause redness in your eyes or nose that can take a couple of weeks to heal.

Middle Ear Infection

We sneeze to help clear our noses of things that shouldn’t be there. This can be allergens, irritants or viral and bacterial infections. When you hold in a sneeze, you potentially allow infected mucus into your middle ear, leading to an ear infection.

Ear infections are rarely serious, but they can be painful. Some clear up on their own while others require antibiotics or other treatment.

Bottom Line

Next time you need to sneeze, don’t hold it in. Just make sure to turn your head away from others and cover your nose and mouth. Wash your hands right after to avoid spreading any germs.

If you’re bothered by frequent sneezing and would like to find a way to prevent it from happening as much, visit an allergist. They can review your symptoms and perform allergy testing to identify your triggers and recommend treatment options.

To schedule an appointment with an expert allergist, call Advanced ENT & Allergy today.