Talking Achoo

Holding back a sneeze by pinching your nose while keeping your mouth closed may cause physical injury. In one such documented case, an otherwise healthy 34-year-old man in the U.K. suffered a tear in the back of his throat after sneezing while stifling it, by sealing both airways. He explained his neck had become swollen after he tried to contain a forceful sneeze while keeping both nostrils and mouth closed. Doctors who examined him heard popping and crackling sounds, which extended from his neck all the way down to his ribcage. Jeff and Anthony debate sneezing etiquette.