Introduction
Who does not know it? After the chewing gum is chewed out, it is swallowed because there is no garbage can nearby or you have already gotten used to it. It can also happen by accident if you get scared or drink something. But what happens after swallowing chewing gum and whether there are any risks behind it, will be explained in the following.
Is that bad?
Basically, swallowing chewing gum is not a bad thing. Even if chewing gum is very sticky, the gastrointestinal tract with its slimy surface does not offer the swallowed object any possibility of sticking anywhere. Once in the stomach, the body cannot do much with the chewing mass, as it cannot be digested by the body’s own enzymes.
Only the sugar it contains is metabolized by the organism. The remaining chewable mass is transported further and further down the intestine by the movements of the digestive tract until it is finally excreted with the stool without the person noticing anything. Even the narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract does not pose a problem during the passage. In summary, swallowing chewing gum is okay and does not pose a health hazard.
Risks of swallowing
As described above, there are basically no real risks involved in swallowing chewing gum as long as you actually swallow it. The greater risk is that it will instead enter the windpipe and block the airways there. In the worst case, you will not be able to breathe at all and you will suffocate.
Fortunately, this happens very rarely. Most of the time, the chewing gum can still be coughed out or, due to its small size, it only closes part of the airways, which nevertheless leads to breathing difficulties. In such a situation you should remain as calm as possible and first try to get the gum out by coughing hard. If this does not work, the affected person should quickly consult a doctor who will then remove the chewing gum and clear the lungs. Parents are therefore recommended to make sure that their children do not have any chewing gum in their mouths during playful activities, as this increases the risk of so-called aspiration, i.e. the chewing gum entering the windpipe.
