Fish is a rare nutritional food, but many people are afraid to eat it, mainly because they are afraid of fish bones. When a fish bone gets stuck in life, the first reaction is to drink vinegar. Is this method really effective?
■ Can you drink vinegar when a fish bone gets stuck?
I believe many people have had the same experience as me—getting a fish bone stuck, and others will immediately suggest drinking vinegar, because acid can soften the fish bone. But the premise is that the vinegar must stay in the location of the fish bone for a certain period of time. When a fish bone is stuck, it cannot stop the flow of liquid, so the fish bone does not have sufficient contact with the vinegar and cannot achieve the softening effect. In addition, consuming a large amount of vinegar can worsen the condition of digestive tract ulcers and even induce severe bleeding.
Similar to drinking vinegar is the method of swallowing foods like rice or buns. Swallowing the fish bone this way could potentially lead to it piercing a blood vessel. Therefore, when a fish bone gets stuck in the throat, "traditional folk remedies" should be used with caution.
■ Why can't you see the fish bone when it's stuck?
The human body has two separate pathways for eating and breathing: the digestive tract, which includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and large and small intestines; and the respiratory tract, which includes the mouth, nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs. The pharynx is the shared passage for both. The most common and frequent location for a fish bone to get stuck is the pharynx. Other, less common retention sites include the esophagus, mouth, stomach, and intestines, while a true foreign object in the larynx is very rare.
Usually, what we can see is a fish bone stuck in the medial side of the tonsil. Other fish bones stuck in places such as the tonsillar crypts, the inferior pole of the tonsil, the base of the tongue, the vallecula, and the piriform sinus are generally not visible, so one has to seek a doctor's help to find and remove them.
■ How to seek medical help when a fish bone is stuck?
When a fish bone gets stuck, first open your mouth and have a family member gently press down on your tongue with a spoon, the handle of a toothbrush, a tongue depressor, or chopsticks to expose the base of the tongue and the tonsils. Shine a flashlight on the area and carefully examine the base of the tongue, the tonsils, and the posterior pharyngeal wall. Once you can see the foreign object, use small tweezers or chopsticks to remove the bone. If you cannot see the fish bone, or if there is still discomfort after removal, you should promptly see an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor.
In addition to cooperating with the doctor's examination, the patient should provide the doctor with accurate information, such as where it hurts, where they feel it is stuck, and what other discomforts they are experiencing. This helps the doctor with the examination. However, not all sore throats are caused by a fish bone still being stuck; pain and discomfort can also be caused by punctures and scratches. Removing a fish bone is not a difficult task. According to most people who have had this experience, the entire process takes less than 10 minutes, and the cost is roughly 30-60 yuan. In fact, the simplest process can take as little as 10 seconds. A more complex case may require general anesthesia for an esophagoscopy, or even open-heart surgery to deal with a major blood vessel.
Therefore, although a fish bone stuck in the throat is a minor ailment, handling it yourself is still inappropriate. The best method is to find a doctor as soon as possible, which can also prevent the condition from worsening.