To get fish bones out of your throat in a simple and practical way, you can cough, eat a banana, eat bread or cooked rice, drink a more viscous drink or gargle with warm water and salt, for example.
Most of the time, the pimple is small and, therefore, the body itself ends up pushing it out of the tissues without causing any harm to health. However, when the pimple is large there is some risk of causing damage to the throat and even becoming infected, and it is recommended to remove the pimple carefully, if it is visible, or go to the hospital to have it removed correctly.
The presence of a fishbone in the throat can be quite uncomfortable and cause a lump in the throat sensation. In some cases, it is also possible to observe the presence of some symptoms such as blood in the saliva and difficulty swallowing or breathing.
What to do
Check out some tips below on what to do to remove fish bones from your throat:
1. Eat a banana
A simple way to get a small fish bone stuck in your throat out is to eat a banana, as it is soft and unlikely to hurt your esophagus as it passes through it. As the banana pieces pass through the pimple, they will stick to the pimple and push it into the stomach, where it will eventually be dissolved by stomach acid.
2. Coughing
Coughing is the body’s first defense mechanism against changes in the throat and airways, as coughing pushes air with enough force to displace any foreign body, such as a pimple.
Therefore, at the moment it is important to follow the instinct to cough, as it can help to release the pimple in the throat, causing a feeling of immediate relief.
3. Eat bread or cooked rice
This technique works in a similar way to the banana, to do this you must take a piece of bread and then dip it in milk. When it is very wet, squeeze the bread and make a small ball that can be swallowed whole. Once swallowed, the bread sticks to the spine and helps push it into the stomach.
Other foods that can be eaten to loosen the pimple are well-cooked rice or potatoes, as, although they are soft, they can stick to the pimple.
4. Drink some olive oil
Unlike water, olive oil is not easily absorbed and, therefore, helps to hydrate the walls of the throat for longer, potentially causing the natural movements of the esophagus to push the pimple out.
Therefore, it is better to drink a little olive oil than water, as it is more lubricating. If you are unable to drink pure olive oil, you can also drink a mixture of water with a little olive oil, for example.
5. Drink something acidic
It is believed that drinking an acidic drink, such as water with vinegar or soda, can help soften very thin fish bones. Thus, by making the pimples softer, they can be swallowed more easily or even dissolved.
6. Waiting for it to pass on its own
In some cases, the discomfort felt may not necessarily be due to the fish bone remaining in the throat. In other words, it is possible that the fish bone remained temporarily in the throat, causing inflammation and local irritation, and was then swallowed, leaving the lesions. Therefore, waiting a few hours can help determine whether the fish bone is still stuck in the throat or whether it is tissue damage.
7. Eat a marshmallow
Just like bread, rice, and bananas, marshmallows are soft enough to push out any stuck fish bones. Additionally, the marshmallow can adhere to the pimple, allowing them to be swallowed together. Therefore, it is recommended to chew the marshmallow until it is moistened and then swallow, keeping the marshmallow piece as large as possible.
8. Drink a more viscous drink
A more viscous, thick drink, such as a milkshake or a smoothie, can help push the fish back, especially if swallowed hard. Additionally, these drinks have the added benefit of being cold, which helps soothe any irritation or discomfort you may be experiencing.
9. Gargle with warm salt water
This method is mainly indicated in cases where the pimple is stuck in the upper part of the throat. Gargling can help contract and relax the muscle in your esophagus so that the pimple can pop out on its own. Salt can help soothe any irritation or inflammation caused by the pimple.
The gargle can be prepared by mixing 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 glass of warm water, mixing completely until dissolved. Then, gargle for about 30 seconds and spit out the water, repeating until you feel relief.
10. Eating dry crackers
Swallowing as many dry biscuits as possible at once can also help to ease the pimple’s exit, and it is important to ensure that the biscuits are chewed just enough so that they can be swallowed as a whole. The idea of this method is to make the cake that is ingested scrape against the throat, dislodging the bone.
What not to do
It is important to avoid using any type of utensil or even your fingers to remove a pimple that is not visible, as injuries can appear on the esophageal wall, which end up causing more discomfort and increasing the risk of infection.
When to go to the doctor
It is important to go to the emergency room whenever the pimple cannot be removed using any of these techniques, but also when it appears:
- Very intense pain;
- Heavy bleeding;
- Difficulty breathing.
Generally, the doctor can remove the pimple using special tweezers, however, in more difficult cases it may be necessary to perform minor surgery to remove the pimple. In these cases, there is usually no need to be hospitalized, as it is a very simple surgery that, sometimes, does not even include cuts to the skin.
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