billy
Apr 7 2008, 01:59 AM
Can one sneeze if they're paralyzed? As it's a reflex, I wasn't sure. Wonder what that must feel like? I'm asking question for compleatly paralyzed or even from like the neck down? Been trying to search it, but no luck.
The Sneezster
Apr 7 2008, 06:42 PM
Certainly paralyzed people sneeze - same as everyone else. If the spinal cord injury is high enough on the cervical spine that the person is unable to breathe without a ventilator, they still can sneeze. However, the sneezes of someone who has a tracheostomy and is ventilator dependent are very small and silent. If you aren't looking, to see the sneeze, you'd miss it. People who sneeze like this report that it still feels like a sneeze, but it is less satisfying.