Dangerous habit: What happens when you hold in sneeze
What happens when you hold in sneeze (photo: Freepik)
Some people may deprive themselves of the feeling of relief after sneezing by holding it back. However, such a habit can harm the body, according to the Telegram channel of the medical community Take Care of Yourself.
Is it harmful to hold in a sneeze
According to doctors, holding in a sneeze is harmful to health.
Firstly, sneezing is an important reflex that allows the body to expel infections and irritating particles. It is primarily a protective reaction, so when you suppress it, all the harmful particles that were meant to be expelled stay inside you and may get into other areas, potentially causing infections. For example, this could happen to the middle ear.
Secondly, it can increase pressure. Suppressing the sneeze reflex leads to increased pressure in the nasal cavity and throat.
Unpleasant consequences may include rupturing the eardrum with subsequent hearing loss, and damage to small blood vessels in the ears and eyes. In rare cases, it could even damage the larynx, diaphragm, lungs, and brain vessels.
Therefore, it is not recommended to hold in a sneeze.
How to sneeze and cough properly
You should always sneeze into the sleeve of your clothing, covering your face with the inside of your elbow. This helps minimize the spread of aerosol particles and reduces the contamination of surfaces and other people.
You can also sneeze into a disposable paper tissue, which should be folded and thrown away after use, and then wash your hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer. If you can't wash your hands, it's enough to treat your hands well with an antiseptic.
We do not open doors with our elbows, write with them, or eat with them: our hands and palms are involved in these activities. Thus, coughing into hands we spread bacteria through our hands.
You can cough or sneeze into your hands when you are at home, but only if you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after that.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
