Woman nearly blinds herself after blowing nose

The 32-year suffered an "orbital emphysema"

The woman had a fractured nose and went to hospital (The British Medical Journal)

A woman was admitted to hospital after she nearly blinded herself by blowing her nose.

The 32-year-old admitted herself to Leicester Royal Infirmary A&E department four hours after “forcefully” blowing her nose - when her eyes swelled up so much she couldn’t see.


 She could have been permanently blinded after her eyes swelled up BMJ 2015
 (The British Medical Journal)

The article was published in the online journal BMJ Case Reports which commented: “Although orbital emphysema is usually associated with trauma, this case highlights a spontaneous cause due to forceful nose blowing.”

Orbital emphysema is a severe swelling that occurs when air is forced into the soft tissues around the eyes.

The woman, who was not named in the journal, suffered a fractured nose and was placed on a course of antibiotics to treat the swelling.