Would I Definitely Know It If Food Went Down The

Posted on Sat, 13 Jul 2019

Question: Would I definitely know it if food went down the wrong pipe? I'm healthy and I don't have any swallowing problems normally. However, I put too much food in my mouth and was using my phone and not paying attention. It felt like some of the food went down a little wrong (a little to the left of where it normally would). It felt a little "not smooth" going down. But I felt fine afterward and still feel fine. I didn't start coughing or have trouble breathing. However, I read that if food goes down the wrong pipe, it can get into the lungs and cause pneumonia. Since I have no symptoms, can I assume I did swallow the food correctly, even though it felt strange going down?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Rajat Basak (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Hii. It's very unhealthy for the body to speak over the phone while eating

Detailed Answer:
Hii. It's very unhealthy for the body to speak over the phone while eating. There are several swallowing protective mechanism to prevent ent of food into the airway. So it is always better not to speak while swallowing. But don't be panicky that you have swallowed food wrongly because if the food goes into the airway tract then you would have having violent cough, breathing difficulty which may lead to fatal condition of your health. As all these symptoms are absent then no food has gone in your airway.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Kampana