Fish is a common delicacy in our daily lives, and frequent consumption inevitably leads to experiences of fish bones getting stuck in the throat. So, what's the first method that comes to mind when dealing with a fish bone lodged in your throat? There are many folk remedies, such as swallowing rice or drinking vinegar. But do they really work? Next, we'll explain how to handle a fish bone stuck in your throat.
Some people accidentally swallow fish bones while eating, causing them to get stuck in the throat. Some suggest swallowing rice or eating leeks as remedies, but these methods lack scientific basis.
Trying to force the bone down is risky and may cause it to pierce the throat or esophagus, leading to serious consequences. Instead, try the following methods. So, what should you do if a fish bone gets stuck in your throat?
Have the person open their mouth wide. Use a flashlight to examine the size and location of the bone. If visible, carefully remove it with tweezers.
For small bones stuck in the throat, you can try drinking vinegar or eating dried plum to soften the bone and swallow it.
If the bone is large, seek immediate medical attention at an ENT clinic.
When a fish bone is stuck in your throat, stay calm and avoid swallowing large amounts of food dry in an attempt to push it down.
While this might occasionally allow a thin, soft bone to pass into the stomach, larger, harder bones could become lodged deeper, potentially piercing the esophagus or major blood vessels, leading to serious consequences.
Emergency Treatment
(1) Use a spoon to gently press down on the tongue to prevent movement. Under a light, carefully remove the fish bone.
If the patient has a strong gag reflex or severe nausea making cooperation difficult, have them perform a yawning motion to alleviate discomfort.
(2) If the fish bone cannot be located but the patient still feels it lodged in the throat, try the following methods to soften it:
① Boil 10g of Clematis root, 3 dried black plums, a small amount of vinegar, and a little sugar into a decoction. Sip slowly and frequently.
② Cut orange peel into small pieces, place in the mouth, and swallow slowly.
③ Dissolve 2 Vitamin C tablets in the mouth and swallow gradually.
(3) If the above methods prove ineffective, or if pain occurs behind the sternum after swallowing, this indicates the bone is lodged in the esophagus. Refrain from eating and seek medical attention promptly.
(4) Drinking olive pit water: Grind olive pits into a liquid and consume it to dissolve the fish bone.
(5) Softening with Vitamin C.For small fish bones stuck in the throat, take one Vitamin C tablet, let it dissolve in your mouth, and swallow slowly. Within minutes, the bone will soften and dissolve.
(6) Drink duck saliva water. Take one live duck, hold it upside down by its feet to make it squawk, collecting the saliva in a clean cup or bowl. Sip it slowly to moisten your throat; small fish bones will dissolve quickly.
(7) Drink well water. If vinegar fails to dislodge a fishbone stuck in your throat, drink one bowl of well water the next morning to remove it.
(8) Swallow orange peel. When a fishbone lodges in your throat, peel a narrow strip of orange rind, hold it in your mouth, and swallow it slowly to dissolve the bone.
Precautions for Fish Bones Stuck in the Throat
1. For larger or deeply embedded fish bones causing persistent pain despite swallowing attempts, and if the bone is not visible on either side or around the throat opening, seek medical attention immediately.
2. Never allow the patient to swallow large pieces of food like steamed buns or pancakes whole when a fish bone is lodged in the throat. While this may occasionally dislodge the bone, improper handling can push it deeper, making removal more difficult. Severe cases may lead to infection and inflammation.
3. If swallowing large mouthfuls of food fails to dislodge the bone, refrain from further attempts. Sometimes the bone has fallen out, yet a sensation of something being stuck persists. Wait and observe; if discomfort continues, seek medical attention immediately. This is the most appropriate course of action for fishbone injuries.
4. The notion that fish bones get stuck in the throat is inaccurate; most often, they lodge at the base of the tongue or the entrance to the pharynx.Typically, foreign objects like fish bones, bone fragments, or fruit pits most commonly lodge beneath the tonsils or at the base of the tongue. Date pits, however, tend to get stuck in the esophagus.
When an object is lodged, the throat may feel sharp pain or a foreign body sensation. Larger objects can also make swallowing difficult.
If the foreign object irritates the throat mucosa, it can trigger severe coughing. Reflex laryngospasm and obstruction may cause breathing difficulties, accompanied by varying degrees of wheezing, hoarseness, or throat pain. Most critically, if the object is large and lodged over the glottis, it can rapidly lead to suffocation and death.
If you have a fishbone stuck in your throat, first try pressing the front part of your tongue with a spoon or toothbrush handle. Under bright light, carefully examine the base of your tongue, tonsils, and the back wall of your throat. If you locate the fishbone, use tweezers or chopsticks to remove it.
If this method fails, or if pain intensifies or the foreign body sensation worsens after consuming liquids, seek emergency medical attention immediately. Never force large swallows of vegetables or bread, thinking this will push the bone down the esophagus. This may only drive the bone deeper or cause it to lodge in the esophagus, leading to more severe consequences.
For other foreign objects lodged in the throat, one approach is to induce vomiting. Alternatively, bend forward at the waist with your head down; for children, hold them head-down across your lap. Deliver four firm blows with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades. Repeat if the object remains stuck.
If necessary, transport the patient to a hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
Some folk remedies are more dangerous than the fish bone itself
Methods like swallowing rice, drinking vinegar, eating leeks, or inducing vomiting by scraping the throat—these folk remedies for fish bones stuck in the throat are considered more dangerous than the fish bone itself by doctors.
The Thoracic Surgery Department at Hanyang Hospital once performed an endoscopic esophageal fishbone removal on a 32-year-old man. Mr. Zhang had been eating after work when the fishbone lodged in his throat. He tried every method—inducing vomiting by hand, drinking vinegar, and gulping large amounts of grilled leeks—and felt somewhat better.
However, for days afterward, he experienced persistent pain while swallowing, chest tightness, and even pain radiating to his "heart."Examination revealed the fish bone, initially lodged in his throat, had migrated deep into the middle esophagus—a region close to the heart. The retrieved bone measured approximately 1.5 centimeters in length.
Drinking vinegar does not soften fish bones. The vinegar flows directly through the body, lingering only briefly at the injury site with limited effect, while also irritating the stomach and intestines.
Methods like swallowing rice or leeks are even more dangerous. Under pressure, they can "push" the fishbone from the throat into the trachea and then the esophagus. This not only causes scratches but also drives the bone deeper.
If it pierces a blood vessel, it becomes extremely dangerous. Inducing vomiting by sticking your fingers down your throat may worsen digestive tract injuries. If done too forcefully, muscle contractions could cause the foreign object to get lodged even tighter.
If the fish bone is somehow pushed into the stomach, is it safe? According to a chief physician from the Gastroenterology Department at the Provincial Armed Police General Hospital, fish bones are generally dissolved by stomach acid once in the stomach.
However, extremely rare "tough bones" may not be fully digested by stomach acid and continue to cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
That concludes our guide on handling a fishbone stuck in your throat. We hope this information proves helpful. Wishing you good health and smooth sailing this winter.