BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- If you block your nostrils and mouth when you are about to sneeze, you may get hurt, according to a report in Monday's BMJ Case Reports.

In the case study titled "Snap, crackle and pop: when sneezing leads to crackling in the neck", a man who stifled his nose and kept his mouth shut when he was about to sneeze got his throat ruptured.

It said that he did not feel any pain immediately but later found his neck swelling.

He lost his voice afterwards and stayed in the hospital for a week.

Sometimes you may hold a sneeze out of courtesy or for fear of spreading viruses. But if you hold it back, it will go inside and cause damage to your body, according to the report.

The report warned that stopping a sneeze may cause damage to the ears.

Next time when you want to sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sneeze in the crooks of your elbow, but do let it out.

(Sources: Agencies)