For most people, letting out a big sneeze can be such a relief. But not for Katelyn Thornley, whose bizarre and unknown condition leads her to sneeze roughly 12,000 times in one day.
The 12-year-old girl from Texas recounts how the phase started with small but regular sneezing attacks. Days passed and the fits only got worse. Pains shoot through her nose whenever she sneezes, an average of 20 times per minute. The sneezing fits have been going on for over 20 days.
In an interview with news channel ABC, she said she is in constant pain from the sneezing. She also has trouble eating, which made her weak and her legs and abdomen hurt. Due to prolonged sneezing, Katelyn was forced to take a leave from school until she gets better.
Doctors have no idea what's going on with Katelyn. They already ruled out the possibility of allergies and virus. The sneezing fits happen during the day and would only stop after taking Benadryl. The phenomenon would also cease at night after she had fallen asleep or listened to relaxing music like songs from The Beatles.
"Sometimes I wish I could leave my body for a little while so I could watch myself sleep and be at peace because even in my dreams, I sneeze," said Katelyn.
A neurologist from Texas Children's Hospital's Dr. Mered Parnes saw Katelyn in early October. Parnes mentioned a possible tic condition. Tic is a nonrhythmic motor movement which is often habitual and abrupt. There are two kinds of tics: vocal and motor. A great example would be when a person twitches his or her nose repeatedly without noticing or when a person blinks their eyes repeatedly. Most tic conditions are invisible to the sufferer and casual observers.
Tic is usually common in children, with one in every four children experiencing the condition during their childhood. Tic can be very uncomfortable and scientists have yet to discover its actual case. Some experts expressed that lack of sleep and stress contribute to the condition.
While medication can help solve the tic problem, it is only advised when the tic reaches an intolerable phase. Katelyn's parents are asking for experts in the field to help their child recover from a possible tic condition so she can return to a normal life.
A similar case happened in 2009 when a then 12-year-old girl from Virginia went through the same ordeal. Lauren Johnson also suffered from 12,000 sneezes in a day.
