A father-of-one almost died after sneezing so hard it caused him to suffer a stroke.
Ian Applegate was sitting in his car with his wife Jennifer and their four-year-old son Jon when he suffered a series of explosive sneezes.
But on the third sneeze something went wrong, and he suddenly experienced a blinding headache and dizziness, followed by pins and needles on his left side.
Little did Mr Applegate know, the ‘violent’ sneeze had caused him to tear the inner lining of the artery in his neck — a condition known as a vertebral artery dissection (VAD).
This tear then caused a blood clot to develop which blocked the blood flow to his brain triggering the stroke.
The 35-year-old, from Santa Cruz, California, US, was rushed to hospital where doctors gave him blood-thinning medication to prevent further blood clots.
Mr Applegate who says he is now ‘afraid to sneeze’ has remained in hospital since the stroke earlier this month which has left him unable to swallow. He is now undergoing rehabilitative therapy to help retrain the muscles on his left side.
The engineer, who is soon to become a father-of-two, hopes to return home before the birth of his daughter in April.
He is now sharing his near-death experience to warn others about the rare but potential dangers of sneezing.
Ian Applegate, pictured with his wife Jennifer and son Jon Cruz, was sitting in his car with his wife Jennifer and their four-year-old son Jon when he began sneezing hard
The 35-year-old from Santa Cruz, California , US, was rushed to hospital where doctors gave him blood-thinning medication to prevent further blood clots
‘It was my first day back at work after being ill with the flu all week.
‘After work, I went to go take care of our horses. I was in the truck and had just put our four-year-old into the car seat.
‘I had just started the car and was getting ready to drive. I sneezed three times, then the third time it caused this blinding headache and made everything spin.
‘That was when my whole body started getting pins and needles on my left side.
‘The whole left side of my body had gone numb, I knew I was having a stroke. The pain was excruciating. I was very disoriented and throwing up.’
Mr Applegate was rushed to hospital where doctors discovered the damage to his vertebral artery that sparked the stroke at the base of his brain.
Medically speaking, a sneeze is a powerful expulsion of air that removes irritants from the nose.
While a common and natural reaction, they can occasionally cause a range of terrifying and gruesome injuries.
These include breaking ribs, bursting lungs and even tearing delicate brain tissue Professor Adam Taylor, an expert in Anatomy at Lancaster University, previously told MailOnline.
The incident left Mr Applegate needing assistance to walk and his sister, Vanessa Applegate, launched a fundraiser to help pay for any medical costs outside of health insurance and time off work
Stroke symptoms are commonly remembered under this four-letter acronym, FAST. Patients experiencing a stroke can often have their face drop on one side, struggle to lift both arms and have slurred speech, while time is essential, as immediate treatment for a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke can substantially slash the risk of a much deadlier major stroke
In addition to sneezing VAD can also be triggered by a sudden movement or injury to the neck, such as from coughing, blowing your nose, according to Bupa.
It can cause numbness in the face, difficulty speaking or swallowing, loss of taste, hiccups, being sick, double-vision, loss of balance and hearing loss.
While suffering a stroke from VAD is rare it’s considered one of the leading causes of stroke among young people.
Some experts have estimated that is responsible for one in five ischaemic strokes, which are caused by a blockage cutting blood supply from the brain, in adults under 45.
The incident left Mr Applegate needing assistance to walk and his sister, Vanessa Applegate, has launched a fundraiser to help pay for ongoing medical costs and lost earnings.
‘It was a pretty hard sneeze but I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. I never thought this was possible,’ he said.
‘I’m scared to sneeze now. My wife is eight months pregnant and I want to be there for the delivery.
‘I can tell I’m going to struggle to take care of myself and the baby.
‘I just want to be home in time for the baby’s birth. I’m trying to stay positive and continue my exercises until I get better.’
