We all know that consuming fish on a regular basis is superb for the health. However, getting a fish bone stuck in the throat can be a daunting experience — you can feel a stabbing sensation in your gullet each time you swallow, cough or clear your throat. You may even panic a bit thinking that it can interfere with your breathing.
But there’s no need to be frightened because, most of the time, getting a fish bone wedged in your throat is a non-serious matter. Even if the thought of something sharp is lodged somewhere between your mouth and stomach can be quite frightening, the truth is it’s something that can be managed in your own home.
Rather than lose control of yourself when a fish bone in your throat makes its presence known, be calm. There are some steps that you may try that are proven effective for such very common occurrence at the dining table. Learn the following by heart and see which of them can lend a hand best the next time a fish bone gets trapped in your throat:
Olive Oil
Reach for a bottle of olive oil — virgin or extra virgin, it doesn’t matter — and take a spoonful of it. This will provide much-needed lubrication, encouraging the fish bone to slide further down the esophagus and into your stomach. This home remedy for a fish bone in the throat is perhaps one of the most well-known and effective.
Lemon Juice
Consuming a glass of lemon juice is also a very popular home remedy for a fish bone that’s jammed in the throat. It works effectively because the acidity of lemon juice helps dissolve the edges of the fishbone, making it small enough to drop further down your upper GI tract.
Apple Cider Vinegar
If you find whipping up a glass of lemon juice a hassle, then there is a much faster alternative to this particular home remedy for a fish bone in the throat: apple cider vinegar. All you have to do is take a spoonful of it. Can’t stand the taste? Then dissolve it in a glass of water and consume to attain relief.
Peanut Butter
Reach for a spoon and a jar of peanut butter the moment you realize that there is a fish bone trapped in your throat. Put a spoonful of peanut butter in your mouth and swallow it — the stickiness and weight of the gooey substance can help make the fish bone slide down to your stomach where it will be dissolved.
Banana
Many swear by the effectiveness of a banana in dealing with a fish bone that’s wedged in the throat. What you need to do is put a fairly large piece of banana in your mouth — but not large enough as to leave you choking. Let it stay in your mouth for a while to have it softened a bit, and then swallow. Follow with a glass of water.
Marshmallows
Instead of a piece of banana, you may also try dealing with that pesky fish bone in your throat with the help of some fluffy marshmallows. Reach for a handful and fill your mouth with it. Chew them a bit and let them soak enough of your saliva. Afterwards, swallow them and then drink a glass of water.
Bread
You may also dunk a large piece of bread in water or milk, and then put it in your mouth and swallow. This home remedy for a fish bone in the throat works in the same mechanism as swallowing some marshmallows. Some people say that swallowing small balls of sticky rice works so much better than bread.
JUST A FEW WORDS OF CAUTION: If not one of the above home remedies for a fishbone lodged in your throat was able to get rid of the problem, the next step that you should do is get to the ER. It’s possible that the fish bone has embedded itself deeply in the inner lining of your throat and only a doctor can get it removed.
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