How will the body change negatively when we refrain from sneezing, urinating, ‘farting’?

Out of politeness or for some objective reason, sometimes we will have to suppress our urgent needs, for example, holding back a sneeze, a pee or even a “far”. However, this can have unpleasant, even harmful, consequences for the body.

Should you hold your sneeze or not?

A sneeze is very motivating. They exit the body at speeds up to 3000cm/s. Trying to suppress a sneeze by closing your mouth and nose can increase the pressure in your airways by more than 20 times compared with a normal sneeze.

Most of us can handle this pressure. But in rare cases, holding your breath can lead to unpleasant consequences.

“Because the back of the nose is connected to the eustachian tubes (the tubes connecting the middle ear and nasopharynx), holding back a sneeze can damage the middle ear. There have been cases of ruptured eardrums due to holding a sneezeMichael Benninger, Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, USA.

“If you hold on to your sneezes when you’re sick, it pushes more viruses or bacteria into your sinuses, potentially leading to a sinus infection.“, he said.

Sometimes, the consequences are even more severe. For example, there was once a case where a man with a stuffy nose was hospitalized after he developed a sore throat, hoarseness, and started spitting up blood. Doctors diagnosed him with a broken larynx – a very dangerous type of larynx rupture, which is important for his ability to speak and to keep food from spilling into his lungs. This condition left him hospitalized for three days.

In another case, a man who was hospitalized for two days after holding his sneeze developed developed mediastinitis – a condition in which air accumulates in the space between the lungs, often seen after injuries such as: car collision.

The majority of case studies reporting sneeze-related injuries occurred in men. The researchers speculate that this may be because men typically have larger lung volumes, resulting in greater airway pressure when sneezing.

What happens when you stop farting?

It is less clear whether holding off farting or passing bowel movements has side effects. In the 1970s, researchers theorized that holding on to farts could lead to diverticulitis, a condition in which small pouches form in the intestines that then become infected or inflamed. However, this hypothesis has not been conclusively proven.

Although the long-term effects of holding off farting are uncertain, there’s a good chance you’ll experience short-term discomfort. In a 2001 study, scientists injected gas into the small intestines of study volunteers and asked them not to fart afterwards. Many people report feeling pressure, bloating, and cramping.

If you hold your urine, what will be the effect?

Holding in urine can lead to immediate discomfort and long-term complications. Although there is very little research, experts believe that holding in urine for long periods of time allows bacteria in the urinary tract to multiply, potentially leading to symptoms of urinary tract infections.

Incomplete bladder emptying can also lead to bladder stones. Mineral clumps can build up in the bladder, causing pain and bleeding. However, this usually happens due to nerve damage or an enlarged prostate, rather than holding in urine.

Spontaneous bladder rupture, although very rare, can also occur, as a result of physiological problems such as urinary obstruction or infection.

In general, holding back a sneeze, a pee or a fart does not bring too serious harm to the body, however, it is best to find a way to address your need instead of suppressing it. Having to “fast” for a long time will create bad habits, leading to many diseases later on for the body.