Coughing helps if you have swallowed a foreign body | Foreign bodies in the lungs – What you should do

Coughing helps if you have swallowed a foreign body

Coughing is a protective reflex of the body. Foreign substances (foreign bodies, but also liquids, pathogens, etc.) are to be transported jerkily out of the lungs and airways. Especially a foreign body that gets stuck in the lungs or airways repeatedly triggers a coughing sensation. An injury to the windpipe during aspiration can cause bleeding, which is manifested by coughing up blood.

Complications due to foreign bodies in the lungs

Foreign bodies can cause very different complications depending on their size, shape and consistency. Foreign body contamination can also play a role. If the foreign body is removed quickly and completely from the lungs, complications usually do not occur.

However, the longer the foreign body remains in the lungs, the more the organ reacts to the foreign substance. This can range from a slight local inflammatory reaction to a generalized inflammation. Pneumonia (aspiration pneumonia) can develop, especially if the foreign body also contains pathogens.

If certain sections of the lung are blocked over a longer period of time, they can collapse and grow together. What remains is the adhesion and scarring of the tissue. In rare cases, a valve mechanism can occur during foreign body aspiration. Air can still enter the lungs, but the foreign body prevents the air from being exhaled again. The lung over-inflates and shortness of breath occurs, which in the worst case ends in permanent lung damage or death.

Causes for foreign body aspiration

The cause of foreign body aspiration in children is mainly due to their still insufficiently developed swallowing ability. The children must first learn how the muscles in the mouth must be coordinated so that the food ends up in the esophagus. Aspiration (swallowing) can quickly occur, especially through distraction. Adults usually master the act of swallowing. In them, foreign bodies enter the lungs mainly when they are suddenly surprised and distracted while eating.In addition, swallowing disorders and loss of consciousness can lead to foreign body aspirations.

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All articles in this series:

  1. Foreign bodies in the lungs – What you should do
  2. Coughing helps if you have swallowed a foreign body
  3. These symptoms indicate a foreign body in the lungs (foreign body aspiration)