Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Is Aspiring Vitamin Pill Into Lung Concerning?

a few days ago i was taking a vitamin just as i was ending a conversation and it felt as though it did not travel down my throat but possibly down my windpipe? I'm just wondering what would be the possible effects of if i were to have aspirated the vitamin into my lung?
Tue, 30 May 2017
Report Abuse
Pulmonologist 's  Response
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I have gone through your description. You have mentioned that you felt the vitamin pill not going down your thrust but into your wind pipe. Did you have any symptoms during that. Any food or foreign body that goes into the lungs causes a very severe cough during the episode. This is a defence mechanism of the lungs to protect against aspiration of foreign bodies. The cough persists for sometime and if the thing is not expelled with cough then it settles down blocking one of the smaller airways. This may lead to chronic cough, recurrent infection and pneumonia. If it blocks the smaller airways, and there is recurrent pneumonia then it can be removed with the help of a procedure called Bronchoscopy which removes the aspirated body under video guidance.
As in your case you have not mentioned any severe cough while swallowing the pill or any chronic cough or recurrent lung infection thereafter, I do not suspect that you have aspirated the pill into your windpipe. So unless you had the above symptoms there is not much to worry about.
Wishing you good health
Regards
I find this answer helpful

1 Doctor agrees with this answer

Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Loading Online Doctors....
Is Aspiring Vitamin Pill Into Lung Concerning?

Hello Welcome to HCM. I have gone through your description. You have mentioned that you felt the vitamin pill not going down your thrust but into your wind pipe. Did you have any symptoms during that. Any food or foreign body that goes into the lungs causes a very severe cough during the episode. This is a defence mechanism of the lungs to protect against aspiration of foreign bodies. The cough persists for sometime and if the thing is not expelled with cough then it settles down blocking one of the smaller airways. This may lead to chronic cough, recurrent infection and pneumonia. If it blocks the smaller airways, and there is recurrent pneumonia then it can be removed with the help of a procedure called Bronchoscopy which removes the aspirated body under video guidance. As in your case you have not mentioned any severe cough while swallowing the pill or any chronic cough or recurrent lung infection thereafter, I do not suspect that you have aspirated the pill into your windpipe. So unless you had the above symptoms there is not much to worry about. Wishing you good health Regards