Suppressing a sneeze is not a good idea, no matter how annoying and inappropriate it is. Sneezing has a purpose, namely to remove dust, bacteria or pollen from the nose that do not belong there and cause irritation.

 

If you suppress the urge to sneeze, the irritating foreign body remains in the nose. If the bacteria that are not transported out then settle in the ear canal, they can cause infections there. But far worse is what the pressure does to the head if it is not released.

A human sneeze can reach a speed of up to 166km/h. In the short time in which a sneeze takes place, this already acts like a small explosion. If you now try to stop the sneeze by holding your nose, this energy must discharge inside your head. The resulting pressure in the nose can be enough to damage blood vessels, the auditory canal and even the eyes. One woman with osteoporosis is even said to have broken her nose by suppressing a sneeze.

Typical consequences of frequently suppressed sneezing are hairline fractures in the cartilage tissue of the nose, nosebleeds due to burst veins, dizziness up to, less frequently, burst eardrums, hearing loss and retinal detachment.