Medical Question - Cough Reflex on aspiration.

[Chaos Descending]

If a food particle were inhaled down the wrong pipe, is it a virtual guarantee that there would be a cough reflex?

Basically I was eating some sunflower seeds and I downed one on accident, but I don't know if it went down the right pipe or the wrong one. It pretty much made it down the hole before I could react.

A couple folks here at work seem to think that if it had gone down the wrong pipe, that I wouldn't be able to stand here and calmly wonder what happened.

So what's the verdict? If it went down the wrong pipe would I basically be coughing my lungs out trying to dislodge it? Even if it made it's way down into the bronchial tubes/lungs?

I don't want to wind up with aspiration pneumonia because I just blew it off and didn't go to the doctor!

 

[mari]

I had water go into my windpipe twice today and coughed for ten minutes both times. (I have a drinking problem.) It's possible you could inhale a seed and not cough, but the odds are wicked slim. It would have to go pretty far down without making contact.

 

[Goliath]

I've always coughed my lungs out in situations like that.

Nonetheless, my advice would be: better safe than sorry. If you're worried about it, go see a doctor.

 

[Trekker4747]

If there's something foreign in your lungs they don't like it very much and will violently try and get rid of it. If the seed ended up in your windpipe or somehow in your lungs you'd know it.

I had water go into my windpipe twice today and coughed for ten minutes both times. (I have a drinking problem.)

 

[Chaos Descending]

I've always coughed my lungs out in situations like that.

Nonetheless, my advice would be: better safe than sorry. If you're worried about it, go see a doctor.

Not terrible advice. I have an appointment tomorrow on another matter. I'll ask about it then.

If there's something foreign in your lungs they don't like it very much and will violently try and get rid of it. If the seed ended up in your windpipe or somehow in your lungs you'd know it.

From asking around in various places, this does seem to be the prevailing opinion.

 

[andy geneva]

i had the exact same thing happen Monday night playing softball. a single seed went down the "wrong" pipe (or so it felt)... I did not cough, but it felt as though it went into my lungs vs. my stomach...

please post what your dr. said?