Are hickeys bad for you?

In 2011, doctors reported that a 44-year-old New Zealand woman suffered a stroke and lost movement in her left arm as a result of a hickey. However, doctors said that they hadn't seen anything like the case before, according to the Daily Mail.

At first, doctors were unable to pinpoint the cause of the woman's stroke, reported the Daily Mail. When they saw the hickey, however, they realized that the suction involved could have damaged an artery in her neck, forming a blood clot that traveled to her heart. Doctors believed it was the first time anyone had been hospitalized due to complications from a hickey.