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How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: March 24, 2022
How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat

Whether in a hurry, excited about something delicious or simply not paying attention, it is common for food to get stuck in our throat because we haven't chewed properly. With hard, crunchy or large pieces of food, this is even more likely. While the majority of cases will find that food stuck in the throat causes little problem and any blockage can be removed quickly, there are possible instances where a blockage of food can lead to infection. If there is a severe blockage, you will know quickly enough that something needs to be done as you will start to choke and find breathing difficult. This oneHOWTO article shows you how to remove food stuck in throat if it is only a minor obstruction, but will also flag other possible concerns.

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1. Try drinking some water

Though there are many reasons why you may get food stuck in your throat, you should know that most foods dissolve over time. So, if the piece is not causing too much trouble, let it dissolve naturally with the saliva in the throat. This is the case when you have food stuck in the throat but can breathe. If your airways are clear, then you can still breathe and asphyxiation is unlikely. The food is likely sitting in the back of your throat. Glutenous or sticky foods might lodge more easily than others.

If letting it pass naturally doesn't work, the first thing to try is drinking some cold water. This can help flush the sides and encourage the flow of food down the throat. If cold water doesn't work, warm water or tea might help remove the blockage. Don't use anything too hot, however, as it may burn and cause swelling. This can be dangerous and, at the very least, counterproductive.

Laying down flat on your back can help. If you do this and try to swallow some water at the same time, gravity can help dislodge the stuck food. You may have to repeat a few times to be successful.

Try gargling

If drinking water won't remove the food stuck in your throat, you can try gargling. This is when you hold the water in the back of your throat and the force air up through the throat and out of your mouth. It causes a bubbling sensation which is what we know as gargling. If you want to make it more effective you can:

  • Add salt: salt is safe and clean, but works to break down other substances. Stir a teaspoon into a cup of water and let it dissolve. Take some into your mouth, swish it about and then gargle. You won't need the whole cup for one gargle, but you can use it to repeat the process. Be careful not to swallow as salt water can induce vomiting.
  • Add hydrogren peroxide: while hydrogen peroxide is very nasty in its undiluted form, in solution form it can be very helpful in breaking down food stuck in the throat. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution by mixing it with equal parts warm water (a capful of each should suffice). Gargle and spit out. Again, swallowing is inadvisable and unpleasant.
  • Add apple cider vinegar: if you don't have hydrogen peroxide, you can create a similar solution by adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to about a cup of warm water and gargle with this. You can make the solution stronger, but vinegar can erode tooth enamel so rinse very well and brush your teeth after words.
  • Use mouthwash: using mouthwash may help break down the food while gargling and won't damage your teeth.

Try eating something soft

Another method to remove food stuck in the throat is to try to eat something soft. This may be as simple as continuing to eat what you were eating before as the next food coming down the throat can help dislodge the stuck food. However, there are circumstances where this could make it worse, especially if the food stuck in your throat is already difficult to swallow.

Choosing something like bread or some sticky rice will serve you better if you want to remove the stuck food as it will stick to it. If using bread, either dip it in some water or let it soak in your own saliva before swallowing. The sticky rice should work on it its own.

It might be helpful to add a little honey to the food stuck in your throat as it will help it to stick. If the food is stuck hard in your throat, you may find that you'll have to spit the food out rather than have it go down towards the stomach. Be very careful not to choke if trying to remove stuck food in the throat this way. It is best to have someone else present if possible so that that can provide assistance if something goes wrong.

How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat - Try eating something soft

Try a vocal cough

Another trick you can try is to cough dislodge the food with a controlled vocal cough. This will constrict the throat and then expel any particles that are stuck. To do this you can take in a deep breath of air and then try to contract your throat muscles. As you contract these muscles, use your abdominal muscles to try to push air up your throat again. The air should push against the food stuck in your throat and make you cough it out. Do not do this too often, even if you have food still stuck in your throat, as it can lead to choking and be dangerous.

How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat - Try a vocal cough

Try a raw egg

Another technique to remove food stuck in the throat involves something many people find distasteful. This is to swallow a raw egg. The emulsified egg can help the obstruction in your throat move and bring the food with it as it enters the stomach. While raw eggs in themselves are not actually bad for you, there is a slight risk of bacterial contamination which can lead to problems such as salmonella[1].

If you have a lowered immunity for whatever reason, you may not want to remove food stuck in the throat with a raw egg. If you do decide to do it, the risk is actually very low (some studies saying as low as 1 in 30,000 eggs may be contaminated). To reduce this risk, wash the outside of the shell before you crack the egg as this can be where the bacteria comes from rather than inside.

Try the Heimlich manoeuvre

If you think the obstruction is very serious, you may need a more drastic solution. If somebody else is in the room, then the Heimlich manoeuvre might be able to dislodge the food stuck in your throat. This is a method whereby you put pressure on the person's abdomen to push air back through the system. This way the food stuck in your throat will be forced out along with the air. This is similar to making yourself cough, but only when this doesn't provide enough pressure.

If you are really stuck and there is no one else around, you may be able to make yourself gag and remove the food stuck in your throat this way. To do this, extend your forefinger and middle finger and push down the back of your throat. This will enable your gag reflex and you may be able to pass the stuck food this way.

However, these are for emergency situations and you should be confidant in first aid if you attempt to use them. If you have you need to dislodge from your esophagus for a long time, it is best to see a doctor and be careful not to do anything to yourself which could cause further harm or discomfort.

How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat - Try the Heimlich manoeuvre

Is there food stuck in your throat?

If all of the above methods on how to remove food stuck in the throat do not work, it is important to know you need to go see a doctor. The food or object may be lodged so far in that an endoscopy or even surgery might be needed to remove it. If you can still breathe with the object stuck in your throat, then there is less chances of asphyxiation. However, the object can move, so it is very important to remain calm and not panic.

You may have something which seems stuck in your throat, but it might not be a foreign body. Sometimes we have the sensation there is something in our esophagus or at the back of the throat, but it is has another explanation. If you have noticed other symptoms, it could be an underlying problem such as:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): this usually a chronic condition which involves stomach acid rising to the back of the throat. GERD can lead to damage to the tissue and inflammation, giving the sensation of something stuck in the throat[2].
  • Dysphagia: this is the general term for a difficulty in swallowing and usually affects either the top or the shaft of the esophagus. Can lead to serious repercussions including dehydration and inability to eat. Dysphagia can give the feeling of something stuck in the throat, but it needs a medical diagnosis.
  • Tumors: whether it is cancerous[3] or benign, a tumor can make you feel like you have food stuck in your throat even if you have not eaten. It will usually happen gradually, but depends on how quickly it grows.
  • Diverticulum: these are small sacs, either hollow or fluid filled. They can appear on the esophagus and give the sensation of having food stuck in your throat.
  • Lymph nodes: swelling of lymph nodes in the throat can give you the feeling of there being something in your throat there shouldn't.
  • Tonsillitis: when the tonsils are inflamed they can feel like there is something stuck in your throat. You can probably tell by seeing the swollen tonsils in the mirror.
  • Globus sensation: sometimes known as Globus pharyngeus, globus hystericus or simply globus, the globus sensation is the feeling you have something stuck in your throat. This sensation is often psychosomatic or may be the misinterpretation of another sensation such as inflammation. Many believe one symptom of GERD may be the globus sensation[4].

If you think there may be some issue other than a food blockage, you should go to the doctor for examination. They can rule out an underlying problem as well as remove the blockage if this is the case. We also have some further information on why you feel like you have food stuck in your throat if you want to know more.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Remove Food Stuck in the Throat, we recommend you visit our Family health category.

References

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What did you think of this article?
52 comments
Rating:
HANNAH
I have A BEANSHELL STUCK IN MY THROAT WHAT DO I DO?
IK YOUR PROB THINKING THATS WEIRD
mer
Researching my situation. I have had since having a tracheotomy feels like something is stuck in my throat. Felt it shortly afterwards, was advised it would go away in healing that would take place on it own. Its been almost three years now I am concerned is the healing still taking place. sometimes it feels worst than others. Not painful just disturbing when I swallow.
Rating:
francis
the gargling works so well! thank you!
Danny
i been drinking a lot cold water die coke to remove the pickle stuck in my throat and i feel it going down little bit but its still there
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Danny,

Have you tried any solid food?
Rating:
Jack
I had food stuck in my throat, I tried the first step where you lay down on your back and let gravity take over. I began gagging a little, but as soon as the water began flushing down into my throat, I felt the lump of food head down my throat. It felt like a rock going through a tube, weird feeling. Anyways, step 1 worked for me, so I give this 5 stars! I don't even need to look at the other steps.
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Jack,

Thanks for sharing, we're so glad this article was useful. It's not always easy getting out food which has been stuck, but being patient and methodical is always best to ensure the situation doesn't worsen. Hopefully others who read this will find it equally useful.
Linda
If your airway is blocked, or it becomes hard to breathe - GO TO THE EMERGENCY
If you can breathe properly and just experiencing discomfort and can afford to wait it out - TRY COKE, it really works
If you are freaking out or in doubt - GO TO THE EMERGENCY, they are used to seeing cases like this.

Just my two cents
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Linda,

Thanks for your input!
mary
I had a piece of hard candy stuck about three hours ago. urgent care told me to go to an ER, I quickly found some web site that said try drinking coke. I did that and it worked. I t was very painful to swallow and water wasn
t doing it. I was amazed how the coke worked and it saved me from going t an ER,
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Mary

Thank you for your comment and we’re glad coke worked for you and you didn’t have to go to the ER!

Regards

oneHOWTO
Rating:
Amit
Whenever i drink water.. and after sometime of i cough purposely lil bit of water comes out.. it feels like something is stuck in my throat.. but i didn't find any trouble in swallowing food.. but it feels like something is stuck up there..
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Amit,

These articles are for information purposes only and unfortunately we cannot diagnose anything in these comments. If you are worried about this issue, we advise asking a doctor who can perform an appropriate examination to diagnose any possible problems.
Ringkhang
I vomitted after taking home made wine made with rice... I was in hangover i forgot to take any water and was it.. It is now dried inside my throad n not coming out causing severe pain and inside throat its like buming out.. increase in size.. please help me out
OneHowTo Editor
Hello Ringkhang,

These articles are for informative purposes only. We cannot diagnose, so any health concerns should be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals only.
Zach Sery
I Have Dry Chinese Noodle stuck into My Throat
How are Chinese Noodle are Gone into My Throat
Keith Reeves
raw egg or peanut butter or coke
bullcoughlin
i have afriend with a piece of meet stuck in his ehrout near the stomick aere what should i do???
Joe
Take a course on spelling.
Adam
On september the 14th i was drinking juice from a juicebox while sipping through a straw i noticed something touching the ceiling of my mouth and i knew inmediately i swallowed something i should have not swallowed. Tried to vomit and cough it out but was worthless. Went to ER and the Dr. said i should wait for a day or so to pass, he didn't cared much about. Today i still feel awful but not only from that particular incident. I was unlucky enough to go through the same thing 20 days later while eating a muffin in a hurry. But this time i felt complete blockage of my airways. Went to E.R. yet again but this time, they took me an X-Ray and according to the technician nothing could be seen. Today i can barely go to the bathroom to do number 2 and i feel dizzy and tired 24/7. I don't know what to do anymore.
Lacy
I have a piece of Fruit by the Foot candy stuck in my throat, and I'm gulping water down to swallow it. It's probably sticking tightly so it's not coming off. Help!! What do I do?
(Don't worry it's not THAT serious)
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Lacy. If after 24 hours you haven't managed to swallow it, we think it's best you visit your doctor.
Hope this helps
anon
A couple years back I ran into an issue where I had a chunk of steak stuck in my esophagus, it was quite the frightening experience. Initially, I wasn't sure what happened so I chucked down a large gulp of milk and that filled the rest of my esophagus resulting in me running to the sink so I didn't cough up all the liquid right on the table.

After a few hours of standing at the sink, trying to see if milk would help it down with no luck, I decided to just wait. It was a long time of coughing up saliva before I eventually decided to go to the hospital. Their suggestion was soda, and they thought it would help the most. Unfortunately, I was pretty scared to swallow anything as I was afraid of running out of room and choking myself so I never really swallowed "a lot" of soda.

Several hours later, I was booked to have my throat scoped and put in a room where I finally managed to fall asleep. I guess it passed while I was sleeping because they saw no blockage.

My final verdict was "asthma of the throat", and some irritation from stomach ulcers (too much alcohol while I was on vacation). Yes... the food did eventually pass on its own but the entire experience was horrifying.

The article here is good, but I don't necessarily agree with the Editor's response in some of the comments.

Try the suggestions in the article, try soda (this was the hospitals first approach) try sitting straight / laying down, try being patient and letting your saliva fight it, HOWEVER, if at any point you are scared for your life, or you do not have anyone with you to monitor you, I would suggest doing the right thing and going to the hospital. Never take internet advice over advice from a licensed professional.
Rating:
Justme
I ate something where it's lodged in my throat . I've this from time to time . One comment on here said , "eating to fast " , that's exactly what I did . After 2 hours I still have throat issues .
All I'm doing is drinking water . I hope we could find an easier way to solve this issue from food , drink
or something .
OneHowTo Editor
You may have scratches from eating too much at once in your throat, which is why it still may hurt. If it hasn't disappeared within 24 hours, visit your doctor.
Hope this helps
Harrison
how long does it take for the saliva to dissolve the food? i can swallow things easy without pain, however i still feel something is still lodged in my throat.
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Harrisson,
There may still be something stuck in your throat, though if you've tried all the methods mentioned in the article, then maybe you just have the feeling of something stuck in your throat.
In this article you'll find all possible reasons:
https://health.onehowto.com/article/what-causes-the-feeling-of-food-stuck-in-your-throat-10228.html

However, if you still have this feeling after 24 hours, we'd advise you to pay a visit to your doctor so he/she can find the source of the problem.

Hope this helps
Jess
This is abit disgusting but it helped me after having some mince stuck down my throat.. I tried drinking water, and also drinking pepsi max I also tried before doing them 2 coughing to get it out it didn't work I tried continually spitting and swallowing it it worked.
Rating:
Hi9292
This helped alot. I was going through sooooooo much pain. I'm only 11 too
Rating:
Tom
I was eating toxic waste and I did u directions,thx!
Rating:
Amy
I've been suffering with food getting stuck about 5 years now. When mine sticks I can't swallow anything not even a sip of water I just keep chocking. I have tried inducing vomit, forcing drink which then goes in my nose, I learned one day if cake frosting is around sometimes it will go down with that. Most recently I was desperate it was a severe storm out and I was all alone. I opened the pantry and was looking for a thick consistency other than oil . I saw a small can of sweetened condensed milk. I took a teaspoon and it worked. I've used it three times now. Give it a try.
OneHowTo Editor
Thanks for the advice!
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