Man, 20, left in intensive care after masturbation caused lung injury

A 20-year-old Swiss man ended up in the ICU with a rare medical condition affecting his lungs - after masturbating.

Doctors at Kantonsspital Winterthur hospital in Switzerland published the odd case in a medical journal due to the "unusual presentation of this entity."

According to the medical journal notes the young man came to the hospital experiencing difficulty breathing and sharp pains after masturbating in bed.

Upon examination, doctors found the man had a swollen face, and crackling noises from his neck down to his arms in addition to difficulty breathing.

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After conducting chest X-rays, doctors diagnosed the young man with spontaneous pneumomediastinum which is the sudden presence of air in the lungs typically due to strenuous exercise or asthma.

While it is unknown why the condition happens, it is rare and generally affects young men in their 20s.

Additionally, doctors found profound subcutaneous emphysema as the cause of his swollen face and crunching noises in his body. This is when air becomes trapped in between tissue in the body.

The patient was admitted to the ICU due to his high oxygen demand but upon receiving treatment was moved to the general area and recovered well.

According to doctors, it took three days of antibiotics in order for the issue to clear up along with Tylenol for pain and oxygen flow for support.

Seemingly the man recovered well.

This is the first time a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum has been documented associated with masturbation. Although there have been documented cases after sex or using the recreational drug, ecstasy

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