Is It Dangerous to Swallow Gum?

Swallowing gum into the stomach is not recommended, but it is not harmful to your health if swallowed accidentally on occasion. It will only be dangerous for the body if you do it excessively. How much is deemed excessive will depend on the individual, but doing so more than three times a day could be the beginning of serious gastrointestinal problems.

When you swallow a piece of gum, it passes through the stomach and reaches the intestine. When it is excreted, it should have a very similar structural integrity to when it was ingested. This is more dangerous for young children who have smaller passages in their digestive tract. This can increase the likelihood of blockages developing, something which may need to be addressed medically. Fortunately, this is rare.

The main risk of swallowing gum is not a digestive issue. If the chewing gum enters the respiratory tract instead of the digestive tract, it can cause a serious choking hazard. When the gum physically blocks the passage of air into the lungs, the person can asphyxiate and die. Although also rare, this has been seen during sports games where the high level of physical exertion can exacerbate the athlete's risk of choking.

If you accidentally swallow a piece of gum, you don't have to worry if you swallow it into the stomach. Made of a gum base, flavorings and sweeteners, there is nothing toxic in the gum which will cause you harm. Digestive problems are only likely to occur if large amounts are swallowed over time. Although a direct negative impact on your body is unlikely, it is not healthy to swallow gum and should not become a habit.

Learn how to get gum out of the furniture with our related guide.

Unless you have a stomach ache or have swallowed a large amount, it's generally not dangerous to swallow a piece of chewing gum. You also don't need to go to the doctor if you accidentally swallow a whole piece of gum, unless you begin to experience specific adverse symptoms.

Only in very specific cases could swallowing gum cause an obstruction. This is the case with small children who have narrower passageways. This is one of the reasons chewing gum should not be given to children under the age of 5. Even at this age, they will need to be instructed on how to chew safely.

For those of us who suffer from problems in the gastrointestinal tract, swallowed gum can be dangerous and cause significant problems. If there are no blockages or narrowing of any kind, swallowed gum will pass through your system without problems until it is expelled. If there is a narrowing or severe inflammation for whatever reason, swallowing gum can cause blockages.

Similarly some people may have motility problems which result in the stomach or colon not emptying as they should. Other digestive issues can make processing the gum difficult.

Crohn's disease is one of the common causes of inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to narrowing of digestive passages. For this reason, a low-residue diet is recommended for Crohn's patients. This entails avoiding certain foods such as raw vegetables and fruit, as well as seeds, nuts, popcorn and chewing gum.

In conclusion, if you swallow a lot of gum, it could cause health problems if you have a small stomach, if you suffer from problems in the gastrointestinal tract or if your anatomy has been rearranged. This latter can happen especially in cases of gastric surgery.

Although it is not usually dangerous to occasionally swallow a small piece of gum, we have learned that it is something which should be avoided wherever possible. There are certain circumstances which can exacerbate the risk of ingestion, so we provide tips on how to avoid swallowing chewing gum:

• Avoid chewing gum while exercising: there are elite athletes who chew gum while competing and many people imitate them, believing that it is not dangerous. However, there have been instances where athletes have died^[1] or have almost died while chewing gum during exercise. The risk of gum aspiration varies according to the type of sport and level of exertion. If you do sit-ups, push-ups, run, jump or participate in contact sports, it is advisable not to chew gum because of the movements you perform.
• Breathe slowly: breathing too fast or through your mouth increases the risk of swallowing gum and, consequently, of suffering accidents due to ingestion.
• Avoid chewing gum in small children: children can easily lose control when chewing gum if they are playing with other children or are paying attention to other things. Remember that the risks of swallowing gum are greater for the health of babies and small children, so it is important to keep them away from chewing gum.

You can learn about mitigating another choking risk in children with our article asking at what age should you stop cutting up hot dogs?

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 Is It Dangerous to Swallow Gum?, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.