Fact or Myth: Is It Dangerous to Hold In a Sneeze? Partly True
No deaths have been reported, but holding in a sneeze can injure your ears and sinuses, so use a tissue or your elbow. The verdict is Partly true. The idea that a stifled sneeze can blow up your head is a myth, while the ear and sinus risk is real.
The short version
- Verdict: Partly true. Injury is possible, and no deaths have been reported.
- What is true: Blocking a sneeze pushes pressure into the head, ears and sinuses.
- What to do instead: Use a tissue or the crook of your elbow, then wash your hands.
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What happens inside you when you hold in a sneeze?
A sneeze is a fast push of air, and the nose and mouth are its exit, so pinching them shut sends the pressure somewhere else. Cleveland Clinic says holding in a sneeze can temporarily increase eye pressure, and can lead to sinus pain, congestion and sinus infections. In extreme cases, it can rupture blood vessels in the head or neck. Those are the real risks, and they are the reason to let a sneeze out rather than stop it. Stopping a sneeze does not make the pressure disappear; it has to go somewhere, and the sources here show that the ears, sinuses, eyes and blood vessels are where it can end up.
Can holding in a sneeze damage your ears?
It can. Cleveland Clinic says holding in a sneeze can damage the eardrum or lead to ear infections, and it also notes that middle ear infections can leave holes in the eardrum, and that those holes tend to need surgical repair. The NHS asks for an urgent GP appointment, or a call to NHS 111, when hearing suddenly drops in one or both ears, when hearing has been getting worse over days or weeks, or when hearing loss comes with earache or discharge. Do not wait it out in those cases. The NHS says that even when it might not be anything serious, it is best to get help, because the problem may need to be treated quickly. Get it checked.
Myth: holding in a sneeze can kill you
The viral version says a stifled sneeze can blow up your head or kill you on the spot. Cleveland Clinic says there are no reported cases of death due to holding in a sneeze. The injuries are real, but the ruptured blood vessel is limited to extreme cases, and ear and sinus problems are the other injuries named. So the verdict is a myth on death and a fact on injury. Both halves matter. That distinction matters, because a reader who hears only the death claim may dismiss the real ear and sinus risk, while a reader who hears only the injury risk may panic over every sneeze in class.
How do you let a sneeze out politely?
Use a tissue, or the crook of your elbow if no tissue is near. The CDC says to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and to sneeze into your elbow rather than your hands if you have no tissue. Then wash your hands. Germs can easily spread through coughing and sneezing, so these steps matter. For why you sneeze in the first place and how to tell a cold from an allergy, read our runny nose and sneezing guide. Many people think a sneeze is a private matter, but the germs it can carry are the reason for the tissue or the elbow in the first place.
- Turn your head away from people and reach for a tissue, or raise your elbow if you have none.
- Let the sneeze out into the tissue or the crook of your elbow, not into your hand.
- Throw the tissue away, then wash your hands straight away with soap and water.
- In a meeting, a class or a family gathering, a tissue or elbow is still the polite choice. Holding it in is not. Not even quietly.
Why do some people sneeze in bright light?
Some people sneeze in response to sudden exposure to bright light, a reflex called the photic sneeze reflex. A 2019 paper in Scientific Reports, a genome wide association study of the reflex in a Chinese population, describes it as not deleterious enough to qualify as a disease, though it presents annoyance. It names drivers leaving a tunnel and pilots in flight as situations where a sudden sneeze can be hazardous. If your mornings bring sneezing every day, our dust mite and bedroom guide covers the usual causes.
A folk trick, not a tested one
Some people press the tongue firmly against the roof of the mouth as a sneeze starts, and say it stops the sneeze before it builds. None of the sources in this article tests that, so treat it as a folk trick. It costs nothing to try, and it never replaces a tissue or your elbow. Worth a shot.
Get a GP check after a stifled sneeze if you have ear pain, hearing loss, or discharge from the ear. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if hearing suddenly drops in one or both ears. The NHS also advises a GP visit if symptoms have not started to improve after a few weeks. Cleveland Clinic notes that in extreme cases holding in a sneeze can rupture blood vessels in the head or neck, so any sudden, severe symptom after a stifled sneeze needs urgent medical help.
The bottom line: A sneeze is pressure that needs somewhere to go, and your ears and sinuses are the wrong place for it. Let it out into a tissue or your elbow. More checks like this are in our Fact or Myth section.
Quick answers about holding in a sneeze
What happens if you hold in a sneeze?
The pressure has nowhere to go, so it pushes into the ears, sinuses and eyes, and Cleveland Clinic lists eardrum damage, sinus pain or infection, a temporary rise in eye pressure, and, in extreme cases, burst blood vessels in the head or neck.
Can holding in a sneeze kill you?
No deaths from holding in a sneeze have been reported, according to Cleveland Clinic, and the serious harms are injuries to the ears and sinuses and, in extreme cases, blood vessels.
Can holding in a sneeze damage your eardrum?
It can. Cleveland Clinic says it can damage the eardrum. If your hearing drops, gets worse over days or weeks, or comes with earache or discharge, the NHS asks you to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111.
Why does holding a sneeze hurt?
The pressure is what hurts. Cleveland Clinic lists the ears and sinuses among the places that can be affected, and sinus pain is one of the effects it names.
When should you see a doctor after a stifled sneeze?
Ear pain, hearing loss, or discharge from the ear needs a GP check, and the NHS also asks you to see a GP if symptoms have not started to improve after a few weeks.
Why do some people sneeze in bright light?
Some people have the photic sneeze reflex, which a 2019 Scientific Reports paper describes as uncontrollable reflexive sneezing in response to sudden exposure to bright light. The paper says it is not deleterious enough to qualify as a disease.
How do you sneeze politely in company?
Use a tissue, or your elbow if you have none, then wash your hands, because the CDC gives this advice to help stop germs spreading.
Is the tongue trick proven?
No source in this article tests it. It is a folk trick, and it does not replace a tissue or your elbow.