A woman spent seven years suffering from relentless sinus infections that baffled doctors until they took culture samples from her nose and finally cracked the case.
The culprit? E. coli, courtesy of her ex.
"E. coli is from poop," Christine Connell said in a recent TikTok video that has racked up more than 436,000 views -- fascinating (and disgusting) the internet.
"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?" she added.
In a later update, Connell said that she and her former beau were holed up in a hotel room with two queen-sized beds while she recovered from an operation.
She was already snuggled under the covers when her ex, standing naked between the beds, turned his backside toward her.
"That is when the fart happened," Connell said. "I've never, ever, ever smelled anything that compares to that."
E. coli is a group of bacteria commonly found in the intestinal tracts of healthy humans and animals, according to the CDC.
Most strains of E. coli are harmless and even beneficial, aiding digestion. But some strains can cause illness, including diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and, in Connell's case, a sinus infection that just wouldn't quit.
"I don't think it is common," she said. "It can happen, it has happened before, but it's definitely rare."
E. coli is primarily spread when bacteria from feces get into the mouth, often through contaminated food or water, or by touching dirty surfaces and then your face.
Connell believes a perfect storm of bad timing and bad gas made her infection possible.
"I had just had ankle surgery that I was recovering from, so I imagine that my immune system was focused on healing that," she explained. "I think that maybe in another circumstance, like if I had been healthy, it wouldn't have happened."
"Also when I say that it was the worst fart that I have ever smelled in my life, I truly mean that," Connell added.
Connell emphasized that her ex wasn't trying to blast her on purpose.
"He was just getting into bed and my face happened to be in the path of the fart that was released," she said.
Sinus infections -- officially known as sinusitis -- happen when the tissue lining your sinuses becomes inflamed, according to the Mayo Clinic.
These air-filled pockets in your forehead, cheeks and nose can get blocked and flooded with fluid thanks to allergies, colds or infections, leading to facial pain, pressure, congestion and other uncomfortable symptoms.
More than 31 million Americans suffer from sinus infections every year, and most can manage their symptoms at home with decongestants, nasal rinses and over-the-counter medications.
But if symptoms stick around for more than 10 days, doctors may prescribe antibiotics or prescription-strength nasal sprays.
In Connell's case, though, the usual treatments didn't cut it.
In a follow-up TikTok, she revealed that antibiotics weren't working -- and now, she's likely headed for surgery.
"They're going to use general anesthesia to go up there and physically scrape off where the bacteria has been and really wash it and get all of the infected tissue out of there," she said.