Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: @Evaulven on 20/11/2011 14:30:02
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@Evaulven asked the Naked Scientists:
Is it possible to die from a sneeze, or how much damage does a sneeze, or life long time not sneezing, do to your body?
What do you think?
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Complications of a cough of a sneeze would be rare, but possible.
I'm seeing notes that patients can rarely rupture their diaphragm (http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf200411/v33n5p649.pdf) with intense coughing.
Also:
http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/117/4/1200.full
and
http://www.wjes.org/content/1/1/34
These, of course, did not cause sudden death, but did create a condition requiring medical care.
Occasionally people will cough up blood, but perhaps the coughing would be secondary to the blood, and not the cause of the blood.
As far as not sneezing, it would be hard to prove any adverse effects of just not sneezing. However, there are notes of dangers of stifling a sneeze, mid-sneeze. (http://www.wisegeek.com/is-it-unhealthy-to-stifle-a-sneeze.htm)