What Causes Chronic Cough When Foreign Matter Is Stuck In The Trachea?

Posted on Wed, 25 Jan 2017

Question: I was eating a piece of bread laat night and sucked a small piece into my windpipe. I coughed and coughed prettyviolently but couldnt definitely see anything come out. I still feel like there is something small there on the upper left side. I stll cough evey so often and a lot of small pieces of phlemn come out. I have a sensation of having to clear my throat often and want to make myself cough. I dont have a problem breathing. Hopefully could this be just iriritaton?

Answered by Dr. Shashi Dangwal (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
It may have come out. If cough persists consult your PCP.

Detailed Answer:
Hello Dear,

Thanks for posting your query on HCM.

Most of the times when anything enters a person's windpipe he coughs violently and the foreign body is thrown out. Cough is a protective reflex. Same must have happened in your case also and the bread piece must have come out without you having noticed it. The sensation of wanting to clear your throat may be because of irritation caused as a result of violent coughing. So I do not think that there is a reason to worry.

However if cough persists and you develop fever, consult your PCP for a course of antibiotics and a x-ray chest should be taken.There is a rare chance that if it is still lodged in your airways a bronchoscopy may be required to locate and remove it.

I hope this answers your query.

Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D