Can your eyeballs pop out? What happens when you hold in a sneeze

We all sneeze, but sometimes it's just the wrong place, wrong time.

On the Luas, during a date, in front of your boss at a very important meeting… there's nothing more awkward that letting an almighty sneeze escape.

But have you ever thought about what happens when you hold it in?

Well, Digg spoke to an otolaryngologist (a physician for ear, nose and throat disorders, FYI) and it turns out that while it won't cause you any serious harm, it's not exactly advisable.

Dr Dale Tylor told the website: "There can be a risk of injury if there is a violent sneeze, with air pushing into the region of the orbit or brain.

"You can get small gaps in the bone separating the nose and eyes or nose and brain."

That doesn't sound too pleasant, but Dr Dale assures these "will heal on their own."

And as for your eyeballs popping out? Well, it's actually more likely for your ear drums to rupture.

Still, the doc says that it's a "very, very uncommon" thing to happen.

With all this information we might think again before holding a sneeze in (*imagines nose separating from brain*).

Feature image: SacramentoM