Man Almost Dies From Infection After Popping Pimple Under His Lip

A man in China almost died after popping a pimple under his lip.

Mr Chen, from the country's eastern Jiangsu Province, began to suffer feverish symptoms and a swollen mouth immediately after popping the spot, the Daily Mail reports.

However, his condition rapidly deteriorated, with local media reporting that an infection spread to his lungs, resulting in him being diagnosed with double pneumonia - meaning both lungs were affected.

Jiangsu Television

He subsequently had to fight for his life in the intensive care unit at the First People's Hospital in Changzhou.

Fortunately, Mr Chen pulled through after popping the pimple last month, but Dr Zhu - who treated him - said his condition was critical.

The doctor told Jiangsu Television: "[He had] mouth infection which initially triggered double pneumonia and collapsed lungs. [His] condition was critical."

Dr Zhu also warned people against popping pimples in the so-called 'triangle of death', which covers the nose and mouth area.

The doc said: "The first thing is to avoid squeezing it with your hands.

"More importantly, if the surrounding skin becomes red, swollen or painful, or the patient develops a fever, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible."

The reason the triangle of death, or 'danger triangle', is so dangerous is because the veins in this region lead back to your cavernous sinus, located in your brain.

Dr Jeremy Brauer, clinical assistant professor in the department of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, told Men's Health: "If there were a serious skin infection in this area that went untreated, and then subsequently tracked back to the brain, it could theoretically prove fatal."

The reason for this is because it could cause a blood clot, which may lead to a stroke.

Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

Dr Brauer said it is extremely unlikely that a popping session in this perilous triangle would prove fatal, as infections can be treated with antibiotics and you're likely to spot the symptoms in good time.

Still, to be on the safe side, he advised against bursting one of the blighters. Instead, you're better off pressing a hot cloth against it for one minute, before applying an acne cream.

If you do succumb to a particularly tempting pimple, just keep an eye out for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling and bleeding.

If you spot one outside of the triangle, you could still get an infection that could lead to scarring, but you shouldn't have to worry about potentially fatal consequences.

Topics: World News, China, Health

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey