This is a first in the history of medicine: a case of tearing of the lungs linked to masturbation.
This is a very serious study published in the Radiology Case Reports, which highlights this unusual case, that of a young man who went to the emergency room because of severe chest pain. After an initial examination, caregivers notice regular crackles with each breath and therefore diagnose spontaneous pneumomediastinum. A rare condition that mainly affects young men.
It is characterized by a sudden tearing of the lung membranes caused by an increase in blood pressure in the chest cavity. In other words, your heart suddenly races, and the lungs fail to respond in time, causing the membrane to rupture.
Unbearable pain in the chest
These tears allow the air present in the lungs to escape into the internal space (the mediastinum). This leads to pain and great difficulty in breathing. Little known to scientists, this respiratory disorder is often attributed to a very strong cough or even a acute asthma attack. According to scientists, this benign condition in the majority of cases affects only a certain part of the population.
But according to the young man, he was not concerned by any of these cases. He who suffered from mild asthma was masturbating when he felt the first pains. While the results of the scans placed the young man on oxygen in intensive care, his lungs being very damaged, the doctors did not understand how such a mundane activity might have led to such damage.
As they research, the scientists who wrote the case report report several (quite rare) cases of people who suffered from spontaneous pneumomediastinum as a result of sexual intercourse. But never had the medical literature reported in its history such a case for auto-erotism.
A one-of-a-kind case
Despite the discovery of this unique case, scientists remain very cautious and believe that there must be other factors to take into account to explain this case. La masturbation not being the only reason for the arrival of this disorder. According to them, this case should not follow a generalization and it is an isolated example.
The researchers also explain that the vast majority of spontaneous pneumomediastinum goes away on its own, with some patients not even noticing the tear or experiencing simple discomfort for a few hours before the pain goes away on its own.