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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Swallowed Small Piece Of Plastic. Will This Cause Any Harm?

I have swallowed a very small piece of plastic that came from ice bag, this had happened almost 2 hours ago.. i have eaten 2 spoon of rice to push it through as i feel like it still in my throat .. but i can breath properly.. i dont know the sensation everytime i swallow water or my saliva it feels like it is still there
Wed, 23 Jan 2013
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello and welcome,

Thanks for your query.

As long as this is not causing a problem with your breathing it is not an emergency. I advise you to drink as much water as possible and do not panic. Try to eat food items like bananas and rice cakes, which help in pushing the foreign object down into the stomach.

Once it has reached there, if it is really small, it will get through the gastrointestinal tract without causing any internal damage.

It will then be excreted with your feces. A close watch on your excreta will also help in confirming its exit.

This shouldn't take more than 2 days. If you feel that it is still causing an obstruction it would be best to consult a doctor, and even get an x-ray to visualize it. Very rarely do small foreign objects cause trouble, which is why I recommend you wait for a while, but not too long.

If the foreign object does not dislodge from its place, you can visit a doctor immediately and use his assistance to get it dislodged.

Best wishes.
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Swallowed Small Piece Of Plastic. Will This Cause Any Harm?

Hello and welcome, Thanks for your query. As long as this is not causing a problem with your breathing it is not an emergency. I advise you to drink as much water as possible and do not panic. Try to eat food items like bananas and rice cakes, which help in pushing the foreign object down into the stomach. Once it has reached there, if it is really small, it will get through the gastrointestinal tract without causing any internal damage. It will then be excreted with your feces. A close watch on your excreta will also help in confirming its exit. This shouldn t take more than 2 days. If you feel that it is still causing an obstruction it would be best to consult a doctor, and even get an x-ray to visualize it. Very rarely do small foreign objects cause trouble, which is why I recommend you wait for a while, but not too long. If the foreign object does not dislodge from its place, you can visit a doctor immediately and use his assistance to get it dislodged. Best wishes.