What Causes Violent Cough Due To Stuck Food Particle?

Posted on Tue, 12 Aug 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 Answered on

Tue, 2 Sep 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I accidentally breathed in a piece of food (veggie omelet). It partially blocked my airway & I could hardly breathe with extreme wheezing. I coughed hard which lasted for 5 minutes until the cough subsided. Now my voice is a bit harsh (like I have a cold) and I feel mucus in my throat & a slight discomfort in my chest/lungs. Luckily I can breathe fine at the moment. I'm a healthy 32 year old. Should I be worried?

Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
steam inhalation, Voice rest, mucolytic

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for the query.

Violent cough to forcefully push out the food particle which gets stuck up leads to excessive vibrations of the vocal cords and this can lead to hoarseness.

The reason is edema of the vocal cords and this can persist for few days.

Please do take steam along with voice rest, mucolytic with proton pump inhibitors. If hoarseness persists, a short course of steroid may be required.

Some times the symptoms may lead up to chest infection. Therefore if you develop fever, breathing difficulty, cough which are suggestive of infection, you need to consult your GP and start an antibiotic.

Feel free to ask another query.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad