I, too, like many of you have held my sneezes since I was a kid. In 3rd grade I got teased for my window shaking sneezes...welll, you know how it goes.
For those of you that do not hold your sneezes and don't understand those of us that do, let me explain. Once you do it for a while, the good feeling you get from a sneeze becomes quite concentrated. It moves UP the scale of good feelings to Number 2. I think we all know what Number 1 is. And it's a CLOSE race.
In any case, last week I held a sneeze in front of a new co-worker who said "you're gonna hurt yourself someday doing that". Well, sure enough the VERY NEXT TIME I sneezed I had a shooting pain that went from my already tender trachea up the right side of my neck through my jaw all the way to my ear. It was horrible. Pain scale 8.5 (point of reference, I gave birth to two 9 pound children with no drugs and thought the last few contractions were 10s).
Each succeeding sneeze that sneaks out (I have been successful in halting most of them) has caused similar pain, mostly on the right, but sometimes on the left.
I had a pharyngoscopy and the doctore was not able to see anything bad (no cycst, polyps, cancers, tears, etc). He said I have a sinus infection that's causing me to clear my throat and cough and that the addition of my bizarre sneezing is just putting it over the top. I should sneeze out my mouth. Oh, and I should not YELL, SING or WHISPER.
It's been a week now (did I mention the antibiotics he prescribed for the sinus infection?). The sneezes are still horrific, but only 7.5 on the pain scale. The pain on the exterior of my trachea is down to a 4! I am encouraged by the direction things are proceeding and hope that in another week I will be able to sing and whisper again(no more yelling!). But I don't think I'll be holding my sneezes ever again.
So, my advice to all of you is get your sinuses checked and sneeze the right way.
So
For those of you that do not hold your sneezes and don't understand those of us that do, let me explain. Once you do it for a while, the good feeling you get from a sneeze becomes quite concentrated. It moves UP the scale of good feelings to Number 2. I think we all know what Number 1 is. And it's a CLOSE race.
In any case, last week I held a sneeze in front of a new co-worker who said "you're gonna hurt yourself someday doing that". Well, sure enough the VERY NEXT TIME I sneezed I had a shooting pain that went from my already tender trachea up the right side of my neck through my jaw all the way to my ear. It was horrible. Pain scale 8.5 (point of reference, I gave birth to two 9 pound children with no drugs and thought the last few contractions were 10s).
Each succeeding sneeze that sneaks out (I have been successful in halting most of them) has caused similar pain, mostly on the right, but sometimes on the left.
I had a pharyngoscopy and the doctore was not able to see anything bad (no cycst, polyps, cancers, tears, etc). He said I have a sinus infection that's causing me to clear my throat and cough and that the addition of my bizarre sneezing is just putting it over the top. I should sneeze out my mouth. Oh, and I should not YELL, SING or WHISPER.
It's been a week now (did I mention the antibiotics he prescribed for the sinus infection?). The sneezes are still horrific, but only 7.5 on the pain scale. The pain on the exterior of my trachea is down to a 4! I am encouraged by the direction things are proceeding and hope that in another week I will be able to sing and whisper again(no more yelling!). But I don't think I'll be holding my sneezes ever again.
So, my advice to all of you is get your sinuses checked and sneeze the right way.
So
hi i have just done a search and come across this conversation!
i am having a similar problem. it wasnt initially caused by sneezing though. my adamns apple is painful and when i sneeze the pain is terrible and it radiates into both my eard rums as well. after a couple of minutes the pain goes away. ive had this for 3 weeks and my GP tells me i have laryngitis! i have had 2 different courses of antibiotics and it hasnt sorted it at all.
im getting concerned now and would like to know if anyone has any answers yet??
thanks
I have the same, serious pain in one side starting after sneezing but I didn't hold it in, just let it go. But I turned my head sharply to sneeze into my elbow, that seems to be what did damage somehow. So it isn't just holding it in that causes problems.
During a two week period I have been experiencing the same symptoms as everyone else on here. I also have held in my sneezes for my entire life (33 years). I have come to realize that the problem is obviously holding in the sneezes, but the pain and the popping sounds are driving me nuts, and even now when I sneeze normally with spit flying everywhere and all over my hand-YUCK!!! (that's why I hold it in). It hurts to swallow food, saliva, and to talk. There is a constant, dull aching in my throat. I would like to hear more from the person who wrote about tiny holes in the throat and the possibility of surgery.... I just want mine to get better!!! Good luck everyone and may we all get better!
same thing happened to me. :(
how are you feeling now? any new news?
i want to know what i can do to help with the pain.
:(
Dont hold it in? Well that is pretty hard on a packed train or bus!
about 3 months ago I felt a kinda irritation in my throat, so I kinda put my hand to my throat near my adams apple and kinda moved it a little. It created a kinda sharp pain like someone chopped me in the throat. The following days I felt like I was getting a sore throat and my voice started to get harsh sounding... but I didn't feel sick. So I went to the doc and told him that my throat started to get sore, that I'm not sick, but that I might have strep or something. He gave me antibiotics. Took those for like a week, but didn't help, but eventually the harshness in my voice went away and I felt like my throat was better - Until I sneezed...
From that point on when even I sneeze and hold it in it feels like someone chopped me in the throat again. I've been holding in my sneezes all my life pretty much (I think). I'm 37 now. Now that I have this pain when I do it, I try to not hold it in, but then I sneeze REALLY LOUD. Wish I know how I broke my throat lol.. or how to sneeze normal.
On a doctors visit for something else, I told my doctor about it again, and he just seemed to blow me off like it was nothing to worry about. But I would really like to know the problem and what initially caused it...
Has anybody ever gotten a medical answer on this? Is this something life threatening? Should people that have these symptoms go see a doctor or is simply "sneezing right" a fix?
I just read all of the comments and that's exactly what I've got. I'm not sure if it was from holding in a sneeze thought, also it's the left side of my throat that hurts more.... I was wondering if any of you found a solution. I know this forum was ages ago but I'm hoping one of you found a solution.
Hello all, I need your advice..I had never held in my sneezes but yesterday I was blowing my nose & when I sneezed I accidentally held it in. I immediately experienced a sharp pain on the left side of the back of my throat. It was like I had a severe case of strep all of the sudden. I gargled with some very warm salt water. Later that evening I could barely speak or swallow. I repeated the salt water gargle & went to bed. When I woke up, I had the worst mouth odor I have ever had in my life. I take alot of medications for my health so I experience thin skin & sometimes have skin tears in the inner lining of of my mouth. Im not sure what to do? My left ear is now bothering me as well. Anyone have any advice what to do? I have brushed my teeth about every 20 mins trying to get ride of this ferocious mouth odor & Im at a loss. The throat isnt as sore but it still hurts quite a bit.
Have you figured out what to do about this? I've been experiencing this for a year or more now. It hurts like hell.
Stop holding in sneezes.. that's how I deal with it. Sneezes generate a lot of pressure, holding them in is not good - i did this for a long time. We probably damaged something.
Doctors are useless. All they do is guess anyway.
Doctors are useless. All they do is guess anyway.
My husband just sneezed and instantly had throat pain. He says it hurts to swallow I googled it and came across this!! I kinda didn't believe him but now after reading this I do I have never heard of this crazy
I did this yesterday too... I've got a pain in my throat and now sound like johnny cash! Does this sound like vocal chord damage, does this heal itself?
I'm the guest that posted 2 posts up about not holding in sneezes. I've done this all my life, and have been trying to reprogram myself to not do it since I initially posted about the pain I got from doing it. Since then the pain is gone, and recently I held in a sneeze by mistake again, and no pain. So if you stop doing whatever is damaged something in your throat (my case holding in sneezes), over time it will probably heal.
I'm no doctor, i'm just basing this on my own experience.
I'm no doctor, i'm just basing this on my own experience.