Woman nearly blinds herself after blowing nose

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.

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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.