Although eating fish has many health benefits, fish bones can be a common concern as they can easily get stuck in the throat, leading to discomfort and even serious consequences like coughing, vomiting blood, choking, or triggering sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition that warrants attention.
Anatomy professor Adam Taylor from Lancaster University in the UK mentioned in an article on The Conversation website that fish bone impaction in the throat is one of the most common reasons why people visit emergency rooms. This issue is particularly prevalent in Asian countries where fish is a staple in the diet.
According to Taylor, cod typically has around 17 small bones, while salmon may have about 30. Eel bones and especially turbot fish bones, known for their large size and quantity, are particularly risky as they can easily get lodged deep in the throat.
Fish bones tend to get stuck in areas like the tonsils, the back of the throat, the pyriform sinus (a small depression that plays a role in swallowing), and the esophagus (the tube connecting the throat and stomach).
If you accidentally swallow a fish bone, you may experience symptoms like coughing, a feeling of something stuck in your throat, pain, difficulty swallowing, or even vomiting blood.
However, not all fish bone ingestions lead to symptoms; some people may have a fish bone stuck in their throat without even realizing it. For example, in 2012, a 69-year-old Japanese woman visited a hospital due to neck swelling. The doctors discovered a 32mm fish bone lodged in her throat, which had been there for nine months.
Undiscovered fish bones can migrate within the neck, and repeated swallowing can cause the bone to puncture the esophageal wall, posing a significant threat to vital structures like the carotid artery, a major blood vessel supplying the brain.
Fish bones can also puncture the thyroid gland, causing abscesses and inflammation. In rare cases, this can lead to sepsis, a potentially life-threatening complication.
In some instances, lodged fish bones can migrate into the neck muscles and subcutaneous tissue. They may even extrude from the skin, as seen in a recent case in Thailand.
Additionally, migrating fish bones can cause infections in the tissues around the heart or enter the spinal cord, leading to secondary infections or even paralysis. Therefore, prompt removal of lodged fish bones is crucial.
There are various methods to remove a stuck fish bone, typically requiring the assistance of a surgeon.
For some individuals, forcefully coughing may expel the bone, especially if it’s stuck in the respiratory tract rather than the esophagus. However, forceful coughing may not always help expel the bone; instead, it could dislodge it, posing a risk of intestinal perforation if it travels to the stomach and intestines.
Fish bones stuck in the esophageal wall may pass out naturally, but in many cases, a doctor may need to remove it using an endoscope.
Some suggest eating bread or bananas to help fish bones pass, but there is currently no scientific evidence supporting this. This practice may further block the airway or esophagus, pushing the bone deeper into the tissue and worsening the condition.
Therefore, if coughing is ineffective and symptoms persist, seeking medical assistance is the wisest course of action.
Dr. Li Baichun, a gastroenterologist at the Zhongxing Branch of the Taipei City Hospital in Taiwan, previously mentioned that swallowing food or drinking vinegar after a fish bone impaction is not recommended and may be counterproductive.
The correct steps to follow in such a situation are:
1. Stop eating immediately and drink plenty of water.
2. Gently cough and try to expel the fish bone stuck in the throat.
3. If the above methods are ineffective, seek immediate medical attention.
(For more details, click here: [Fish Bone Stuck in Throat – Incorrect Actions: Swallowing Food or Drinking Vinegar? The Right Approach in 3 Steps](link).)