To sneeze or not to sneeze? That is the question that took center stage on a recent episode of Live with Kelly and Mark. Kelly Ripa candidly confessed her habit of stifling sneezes, prompting her co-host, Mark Consuelos, to delve into the potential dangers of this unusual practice.

During Friday’s show, Consuelos took it upon himself to inform viewers about the “six risks of holding in a sneeze.” As he began with the first risk, a ruptured eardrum, Ripa quickly countered, “Nope. I find it clears my ears.”

Undeterred, Consuelos continued through the list, highlighting the possibilities of developing an ear infection or suffering damaged blood vessels in the eyes or nose. Ripa, however, remained unfazed and assured the audience that she hadn’t experienced any of these alarming side effects.

Ripa replied, “Nope. I find it clears my ears.”

Consuelos continued reading the list, naming “ear infection” and “damaged blood vessels in the eyes or the nose” as other potential risks, though Ripa denied that she has not fallen victim to either.

“None of this has happened to me,” she claimed.

Consuelos added, “Subcutaneous emphysema, yeah.”

Ripa helped us all out by conceding she didn’t know what subcutaneous emphysema means, prompting Consuelos to explain that “you can get air buildup under your skin.”

“You might notice these smooth bulges on your skin that make a crackling sound if you press on them,” he said.

Ripa assured viewers, “I don’t have that.”

Consuelos named the next item on the list, which was a “ruptured brain aneurysm.” While the mood briefly became more serious, Ripa took it in stride and made light of the moment.

“I’m a ticking time bomb,” she joked.

Then, Consuelos read about the risk, though “unlikely,” of a “fracture” from a “stifled sneeze.”

Ripa teased, “I’ve hung up my jacket and thrown my neck out, so maybe… I mean, I don’t know that sneezing is necessarily correlated to that.”

Meanwhile she warned Consuelos of his sneezes, telling him, “I feel like when you sneeze, it’s so violent that you could definitely harm yourself.”

Consuelos said, “I’m letting it all out.”

Ripa clarified, “I know, but you sneeze in rapid succession. It’s like sneeze after sneeze.”

Consuelos agreed, noting that this “especially” occurs if he eats “something spicy,” and gave viewers of a taste of what that would sound like.

“Triple sneeze, because I have food in my mouth so I can’t really sneeze,” he explained.

Ripa quipped, “No, you manage.”

Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for your local listings.