People left terrified to sneeze after shocking simulation reveals how woman was left paralysed
Social media users have been left terrified to sneeze, after a video showing how a woman was left paralysed from the involuntary reflex went viral.
A sneeze is the body's natural defense against anything that irritates the nose, and can be triggered by anything from germs, allergens and even sudden exposure to bright light.
But, in extreme cases, the daily phenomenon can do more harm than good.
The simulation clip, posted to X (formerly twitter) has so far been viewed over 331,000 times, leaving viewers 'scared to ever sneeze again'.
The video, made by Zack D Films, aims to offer a visual explanation as to how a solicitor spent almost a year paralysed after she ruptured a disc in her spine from sneezing.
'As she sneezed, it ruptured a disc in her spine, and when it collapsed, a nerve got trapped between her two vertebrae,' the voiceover says.
'Suddenly, she couldn't move and even though she had three separate operations, she still suffered extreme pain.'
The woman in question is Victoria Kenny, who suffered the extremely rare complication in 2007, after a sneeze disloged a disc in her spine, trapping her sciatic nerve between two vertebrae.
She said: 'When I sneezed I felt a searing pain down my spine.
'I didn't understand what was happening. I couldn't stand or move my limbs. It was terrifying. My first fear was that I was paralysed', she added.
The video goes on to say: 'For the next two years, she was bedridden needing painkillers so strong she would hallucinate.'
The mother-of-three recalled that the morphine she had been prescribed to manage the pain was so strong that she 'saw people literally melting in front of [her]'.
The pain was likely caused by a condition known as sciatica, which occurs when the sciatic nerve—which runs from the lower back to the feet—is irritated or compressed.
This can be caused by a slipped disc, when the soft cushion of tissue between the bones in the spine pushes outwards.
However, despite three operations on her spine, doctors were unable to resolve the problem, leaving Ms Kenny bedridden.
'Being in that kind of pain day after day, I eventually got to the point where I just didn't want to live. The pain took over every part of my life', she said.
But after going private, surgeons inserted a hollow plastic cage containing a bone graft into her spine to prevent the vertebrae from rubbing together and the disc from collapsing again.
Within a week of the operation, Ms Kenny was up and walking and shortly after, she returned to work.
'The relief was immediate after the operation and I was discharged from hospital the next day,' she recalled.
However, she is still 'terrified of sneezing' and pinches her nose every time she feels a sneeze coming on.
In response to the simulation, viewers shared similar concerns, with one user saying: 'Now I have another reason to worry about my mom's sneezing. She pretty much shouts it.'
Another user commented on the video: 'New fear unlocked'.
According to experts, sneezing is a protective reflex, involving an expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth—most commonly caused by irritants.
Whilst unavoidable, and a common reaction to environmental stressors, such as dust and pollen, sneezing can cause a range of terrifying and gruesome injuries.
Ian Applegate, from Santa Cruz, was sitting in the car when he suffered a sneezing attack which tore through the inner lining of an artery in his neck, resulting in a stroke.
According to Professor Adam Taylor, an anatomy expert from Lancaster University, a sneeze is powerful enough to break ribs, burst lungs and even tear delicate brain tissue.
This comes shortly after a fit and healthy young father almost died after sneezing so hard it caused him to suffer a stroke.
Ian Applegate, 35, was in the car with his wife Jennifer and their four-year-old son Jon when he suffered a series of explosive sneezes.
After the third sneeze, the young dad experienced a sudden blinding headache and dizziness, followed by pins and needles on his left side.
Unbeknown to him, the 'violent' sneeze attack had torn through the inner lining of an artery in his neck — a condition known as a vertebral artery dissection (VAD).
This tear then caused a blood clot to develop which restricted life-giving oxygen to his brain, triggering the stroke.
The 35-year-old was rushed to hospital where doctors gave him blood-thinning medication—known as anticoagulants—to prevent further blood clots.
He is now undergoing rehabilitative therapy to help retrain his muscles, after the stroke left him unable to swallow.
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