I sneezed and my brain ‘exploded’ – a giant blood clot flew out of my nostril and I passed out
A MAN almost died after a sneeze caused his brain to explode.
In September 2016, Sam Messina, now-26, was lying in bed at college when he sneezed, suffered a stroke and was rushed to hospital.
Moments before passing out, the “terrified” University of Alabama, US, student managed to call his mum who called his girlfriend, Nicole Kramer, for further help.
“My brain pretty much exploded and the clot came out of my nostrils,” he explained, “I should have died”.
After regaining consciousness, his hands began to tingle and his vision blurred.
Doctors soon realised Sam had a bleed in his brain and he was immediately rushed to another hospital for further treatment and surgery.
He was later diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a neurological condition that causes a tangle of the blood vessels that connect arteries and veins in the brain.
It’s rare and occurs in less than one per cent of the population, the NHS states.
AVMs often remain undetected for years until they rupture and cause bleeding in the brain and other problems.
In Sam’s case, the rupture caused a small stroke that affected the visual area of his brain.
Sam was forced to drop out of university to undergo three rounds of brain surgery to remove the clot.
He said: “I was in hospital for a week and had 27 staples put in, then recovered in bed at home for a month before having the staples removed.
“It was a really weird time, All I could think of was how to get my life back on track.”
The symptoms of AVM you need to know
In about 15 per cent of cases, AVM's don't cause symptoms and are found incidentally, the NHS states.
However, there are some signs that are common in those who are diagnosed with the condition:
- Seizures: around 20 per cent of cases are detected because the patient has a seizure
- Haemorrhage: more than 50 per cent of AVM’s are found after a haemorrhage. Signs of this include a sudden onset of severe headache often with nausea, vomiting, neurological problems or a decreasing level of consciousness
- Headaches: Headaches may be caused by the high blood flow through the AVM
- Strokes: Brain AVMs may cause stroke-like symptoms by depriving the nearby brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients
Despite the horrors, Sam has chosen to use what happened to him as a positive inspiration – saying it has helped him build his business.
He is the founder of Moouse Media and Moouse University, which specialises in making videos for brands.