When A Fish Bone Gets Lodged In Your Throat
Imagine sitting there at the dining table along with an 8 year old and his mom as the child struggles frantically with the fish bone stuck in his throat. His mom goes to him with no clue of what to do to help. She is helpless as the child and the others at the table. No one seems to know what to do. The child continues to cry with fear of what’s happening within him.
It’s quite common to ingest fish bones accidentally. The pinbone type of fish bones are small and commonly gets missed during the preparation of meals and while chewing food. Their sharp edges and unusual shapes contribute to the fact that they get lodged in your throat more than other food.
When you get a fish bone stuck in your throat, it can be a scary and painful ordeal. Since this is a common scenario, there are plenty of methods for getting the bones dislodged from your throat.
How the experience feels
With a fish bone stuck in your throat, you will certainly feel it along with the following symptoms:
- Stinging pain in the throat
- Feeling of prickling or tingling within the throat
- Throat becomes tender
- Painful cough
- Pain in swallowing
- Spitting blood
Fish with bones that are difficult to detect
The skeletal structures of various types of fish differ. This variety makes it even more difficult to get the bones out. When fish is cooked and served up whole, the risk of getting bones is even greater. Here are some examples of fish that have bones difficult to detect and debone:
- Shad
- Pike
- Carp
- Trout
- Salmon
The process of removing fish bones from your throat
The child and mother in the story above were terrified with the experience of having fish bone stuck in the child’s throat. But you don’t need to fear. It’s rarely a case for an emergency visit to the doctor. Try the following home remedies before going to the emergency room.
1. Marshmallows
This is one of the best solutions. Take a big marshmallow and chew it just a bit and keep it in your mouth for a minute to allow the saliva to cover the marshmallow. Then, swallow it whole. Nothing to fear, as it is soft enough to swallow and sticky enough to grab the bone and transport it into your stomach.
2. Olive oil
As a natural lubricant, Olive oil will do wonders. Try swallowing one or two tablespoons of it. The oil should form a coating over the lining of your throat and the bone. This will make it easier to swallow the fish bone and get it down into your stomach. You may even be able to cough it up after the Olive oil does it’s job.
3.Cough
Since the chances are greater for the bones to get stuck on the back side of the throat, a forceful cough should dislodge it for you. That cough will cause the throat and the tonsils to vibrate enough to give you relief.
4. Bananas
Like marshmallows, a large bite of a banana may also do the job. Hold that bite of banana in your mouth for at least a minute and give it a chance to soak up some saliva. Then, with a gulping swallowing action, the fishbone should go down into your stomach.
5. Bread and water
This is one of the oldest methods. Dip a large piece of bread in water and swallow it whole. You may want to soak the bread in water for a minute to soften it up a bit since you’re swallowing a large piece as a whole.
6. Soda
For a long time now, people have used carbonated drinks like cola to help people with fish bones stuck in their throats. The soda within your stomach releases certain gasses that help to disintegrate and soften the bone. It even builds up pressure that helps to dislodge the bone.
7. Vinegar
The acidic nature of vinegar may help break down the bone. This softening will dislodge the bone and make it easier to swallow. Dilute 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a cup of water. You can even take one table tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar and drink it straight. The taste should be bearable or you can add a little honey.
8. Bread and peanut butter
Another wonder worker is bread covered with peanut butter. It will “grab” the fish bone and dislodge it from your throat. Make sure to have plenty of water at hand in case you need it.
9. Give it time
If you’re not having breathing trouble due to the fish bone lodged in your throat, you could just ignore it if you can. Sometimes, it just works itself off gradually. Quite often, people run to the hospital with fear the bone is still there, but they find that the bone has already passed into the stomach. The irritation they felt was just the scratch caused by the sharp bone. Just make sure your throat is clear by the time you sleep. Especially if you have breathing trouble, make sure to go to the emergency room.
Time to see a doctor
After trying several of the nine items above, you find that your condition has not changed, make sure to see the doctor. If the item is lodged in the esophagus, it could potentially cause serious trouble. If the pain doesn’t go away in a few days, be sure to consult the doctor.
When to get immediate medical help
If you’re experiencing one of the symptoms below, be sure to get immediate help from a doctor.
- Pain in the chest
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Drooling that is excessive
- Difficulty eating or drinking
What can a doctor do?
There is no need for fear. The doctor can easily remove the fish bone from your throat. If the bone is not visible, they’ll do an endoscopy. This is a procedure where they use a flexible tube that has a miniature camera at its end. Using this same tool, your doctor can take care of the problem with the fish bone.
Prevention
Some people are more susceptible to getting a fish bone stuck in their throat. People with dentures often have the greatest difficulty since they may not be able to feel the bones while the food is in their mouth. Children and the elderly also face this problem often, along with those who eat fish while they are drunk.
If you are in one of the high risk categories, or you have had this trouble repeatedly, you can use fillets instead of purchasing the whole fish. In the fillets, there may be some small bones, but only a few. High risk individuals should be supervised and take care when fish with bones. Be sure to take small bites and by all means, don’t eat in a hurry.
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