A woman has made the startling claim that she developed a years-long sinus infection after her then-boyfriend broke wind in the hotel room they were sharing.
Christine Connell said she was recovering from knee surgery when the incident occurred seven years ago.
“I’ve had a persistent sinus infection ever since he and I stayed in a hotel one night after I had surgery and he farted terribly,” she shared on TikTok.
Christine said her ex-boyfriend got “the best possible breakup revenge that anyone could ever get.”
Christine Connell has claimed that she developed a persistent infection after her ex-boyfriend farted
Image credits: christinexploring
A sinus infection, also known as sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinuses, the spaces in your forehead, cheeks, and nose usually filled with air.
It causes facial pain, a runny nose, and sometimes a fever and headaches. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this infection can have many causes, including viruses, bacteria, or allergies.
Christine recalled that she “couldn’t breathe” after the smelly incident, saying, “There’s not anything that even compares to that.”
Christine stated that she has suffered from sinusitis ever since the incident seven years ago
After a period of uncertainty about the cause of the infection, she said tests revealed she had contracted the E. coli virus.
“You usually don’t get E.coli in your sinuses because E.coli is from poop,” the lawyer explained.
“So I don’t know, how does that get in your sinuses unless you have a boyfriend who farts disgustingly, and you are forced to inhale it because you are immobile after ankle surgery?”
In the comments, she explained that she still suffers from sinusitis seven years later.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines. Most types of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea, the Mayo Clinic notes, but a few strains can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting.
Most E. coli strains spread when bacteria from poop that’s too small to see makes its way into your mouth and digestive tract. Some forms can also be transmitted through undercooked meat, unpasteurized drinks, and contaminated water.
The bacteria can also spread through person-to-person contact, especially when infected adults or children do not wash their hands properly.
She said her ex-boyfriend got “the best possible breakup revenge anyone could ever get”
In a separate video, Christine shared more details about the “definitely rare” case.
The travel content creator said her ex was unclothed when he passed gas and that he “was not intending to fart in [her] face; he was just getting in bed,” but her face happened to be in the way.
She continued: “I had just had ankle surgery that I was recovering from, so I imagine that my immune system was focused on healing that.
“Maybe in another circumstance, if I had been healthy, it wouldn’t have happened.”
@christinexploringI wish I were joking 😭♬ original sound – Christine Connell
“I think it’s actually more common to get pink eye from someone farting in your face.”
Medical tests revealed she had contracted E. coli bacteria in her sinuses
@christinexploringPlease work 🙏♬ original sound – Christine Connell
“The infections often occur after medical procedures like nasal intubation or nasogastric tubing,” one user commented, to which Christine replied, “I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.”
“It’s significantly more likely that you got E.coli in your nose and sinuses from your hands rather than from a fart 7 years ago. It’s simple,” wrote someone else.
She believes that her weakened immune system following her surgery may have made her more vulnerable to the infection
@christinexploringWell this is fun 😭♬ original sound – Christine Connell
Physician Franklin Joseph called the gas explanation “extremely unlikely.”
“While it certainly makes for an eye-catching TikTok, the idea of developing a sinus infection from someone passing gas is, scientifically speaking, extremely unlikely,” he told The Sun.
As Joseph explained, E. coli is not transmitted through the air.
Some viewers expressed skepticism, suggesting that E. coli likely reached her sinuses through direct contact rather than inhalation
“For E.coli to reach the sinuses, it would need to travel through a direct route such as via the bloodstream or through contaminated hands or objects coming into contact with the nasal passages – not from breathing in someone’s flatulence in a hotel room.
“That said, finding E.coli in the sinuses is rare but not impossible. In immunocompromised patients or following trauma or poor hygiene, unusual bacteria can occasionally colonize areas where they don’t belong.”
“New fear unlocked,” one reader quipped
