What to do if you have a foreign body in your throat
Attempts to push a bone with a bread crust are dangerous: the object goes deeper and injures the mucous membrane, and an abscess can develop around it. The doctor examines the pharynx, if necessary with an endoscope, numbs the mucous membrane with a spray and removes the foreign body with forceps. The procedure takes a few minutes. After extraction, rinsing is prescribed, and in case of mucosal injury, a follow-up examination.
When you need emergency ENT care
Some ENT conditions cannot be postponed: nosebleeds that do not stop within 15–20 minutes, a foreign body in the nose, ear or throat, a purulent abscess with increasing swelling, a fresh injury to the nose.
Delay here worsens the outcome: blood loss increases, the foreign body moves deeper, the abscess spreads to the surrounding tissue, and the nasal bones fuse in the wrong position after 7–10 days.
What you shouldn't do on your own
- trying to reach a foreign body with tweezers or a cotton swab - it goes deeper
- throw back your head when you have a nosebleed - blood flows down your throat
- warm the abscess area - heat accelerates the spread of pus
- straighten your nose after an injury with your own hands