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Original poster

I’ve accidentally breathed in a pea… somehow!

96 replies

strawberryjeans · 16/11/2023 21:17

Not a joke post, though I know it sounds like one.

God knows how but I think I’ve managed to breathe in a pea, ie aspirate rather than it going down my oesophagus it’s gone down my windpipe! It was in my mouth and I gasped, and felt it go down the wrong way. It hasn’t made me cough, at all. It’ll sound so silly but is it something I should worry about or can the body dissolve things like that.

Thank you

OP posts:
SaltPepperPotato · 16/11/2023 21:20

Noooo, there was an episode of Monsters Inside Me about a man who did this and it germinated and made him so poorly.

Highlyflavouredgravy · 16/11/2023 21:20

If you're not coughing you have not breathed it in so no you don't need to do anything

CandyLeBonBon · 16/11/2023 21:22

If you'd breathed it in I'm fairly sure you'd be coughing your lungs up and not posting on MN

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Jifmicroliquid · 16/11/2023 21:22

I think you’d have coughed if it had gone down that way.
But if you are convinced it did, perhaps you need to give your GP a ring tomorrow and just ask what you should do.

waltzingparrot · 16/11/2023 21:23

I'd ring 111 and ask. DS got one stuck up his nose once and the Dr sent us to A&E because he said you can't leave it there, it will go bad and could cause an infection.

stepintochristmas1 · 16/11/2023 21:25

Doesn't this sort of thing cause infections that can lead to pneumonia ?

Original poster
strawberryjeans · 16/11/2023 21:26

Highlyflavouredgravy · 16/11/2023 21:20

If you're not coughing you have not breathed it in so no you don't need to do anything

Are you sure though? Would someone always cough if they breathed something in

OP posts:
LookingForPurpose · 16/11/2023 21:27

If you have it's very likely you could develop pneumonia , it's happened to me several times after I inhaled a little stomach contents from a hiatus hernia. You should definitely contact your Gp but I don't see how you are not coughing if it is in your lungs. Just a drop off water the wrong way actually going into your lungs can cause 20-30 minutes of coughing and stringy foam coming up.

Coconutter24 · 16/11/2023 21:27

If it has made it to your lungs it could be worth a call to 111 or docs, a pea maybe small but it can damage tissue and if left cause infection
Did you cough when it first went down? Sometimes if something goes further down the respiratory tract you might not show obvious signs something is there but I would think you’d definitely cough or gag to begin with

MySerenity · 16/11/2023 21:28

You might need bronchoscopy to remove it. I would go a&e if you're certain

Pinkpinkplonk · 16/11/2023 21:30

Silent aspiration is a thing….. If the pea is there it needs to be removed or you will end up ill

Original poster
strawberryjeans · 16/11/2023 21:30

Omg I thought posting on here would reassure me, but if anything I’m more worried now.

I’m like 70% sure it happened but who knows if my throat closed in time and it went down my oesophagus instead. I’ve forced myself to cough but there is nothing to cough up.

OP posts:
DuckDuckNo · 16/11/2023 21:33

An x-ray will let your doctor (and you) know for sure. Contact your gp or A&E.

soleroonic · 16/11/2023 21:34

Highlyflavouredgravy · 16/11/2023 21:20

If you're not coughing you have not breathed it in so no you don't need to do anything

Not true.

Silent aspiration is where you don't cough. Happens a lot.

truetruebarneymcgrew · 16/11/2023 21:35

You might have aspirated the pea, although it's unlikely as the cough reflex should have kicked in. If you have aspirated it, providing you are otherwise fit and well with no underlying health conditions it's unlikely to cause aspiration pneumonia.

BeyondMyWits · 16/11/2023 21:36

My MIL was sure she had breathed in a pea, but had no cough and just forgot about it, but one day about 4 weeks later she coughed it up... a now yellowing stinky pea.

soleroonic · 16/11/2023 21:37

strawberryjeans · 16/11/2023 21:30

Omg I thought posting on here would reassure me, but if anything I’m more worried now.

I’m like 70% sure it happened but who knows if my throat closed in time and it went down my oesophagus instead. I’ve forced myself to cough but there is nothing to cough up.

I've silently aspirated a pea before. If you inhale at the right time it just flies down through the vocal cords and into the lungs. You cough mainly from the irritation around the cords.

I had a bit of a sore chest for a few days and then randomly coughed it back out when I was least expecting it.

I work in the field (I'm a swallow specialist 🤦🏼‍♀️) so I wasn't too worried.

Others are right, it needs to come out via a cough or a bronch to remove it. Your lungs can't break it down and it could end up as an aspiration pneumonia if infection sets it.

Onlywedressbetter · 16/11/2023 21:41

I did exactly the same thing a couple of years back, I did cough but nothing came up, I could then feel it as a rattle in my chest.
The next day at work i suddenly I coughed, and out shot out the pea.

idontlikealdi · 16/11/2023 21:41

I did this with an anti histamine, it wasn't pleasant

Original poster
strawberryjeans · 16/11/2023 21:48

soleroonic · 16/11/2023 21:37

I've silently aspirated a pea before. If you inhale at the right time it just flies down through the vocal cords and into the lungs. You cough mainly from the irritation around the cords.

I had a bit of a sore chest for a few days and then randomly coughed it back out when I was least expecting it.

I work in the field (I'm a swallow specialist 🤦🏼‍♀️) so I wasn't too worried.

Others are right, it needs to come out via a cough or a bronch to remove it. Your lungs can't break it down and it could end up as an aspiration pneumonia if infection sets it.

Show quote history

Thank you. With you working in the field, what do you think I should do if I don’t cough it out? Of course it’s likely I never swallowed it in the first place. Do I just wait and if I do get any weird symptoms then pop along to the GP? I have health anxiety and I’m fearing the worst and have already written myself off ha ha

OP posts:
soleroonic · 16/11/2023 21:51

If it were me, I'd leave it a few days and see if it pops out of its own accord. It's pretty likely to.

Be super vigilant to respiratory changes, shortness of breath, feeling sweaty and unwell - then see a doctor and tell them what happened. If you can't breath as an emergency, then you need to have it removed via a bronchoscopy for sure.

In a fit and well person you have minimal risk factors for an aspiration pneumonia and you should cough it out within a few days before that happens.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 16/11/2023 21:55

My BIL did this, he became poorly with a chest infection, but pea was found and removed.

2welshmums · 16/11/2023 22:00

A simple chest x-Ray will locate it if on the lungs, it will only take a couple of minutes for the X-ray. Do speak to your GP tomorrow.

Even if it's on your lungs, should be a simple removal.
Wish you the best

Shittenshite · 16/11/2023 22:02

I'm sitting in a room with a family member who is medically trained and works in the medical profession. They said you wouldn't necessailry be coughing if you've aspirated food. They recommend going to A&E or ringing 111 at the very least for advice as it can cause infection and lung damage if left untreated.

Original poster
strawberryjeans · 16/11/2023 22:04

Shittenshite · 16/11/2023 22:02

I'm sitting in a room with a family member who is medically trained and works in the medical profession. They said you wouldn't necessailry be coughing if you've aspirated food. They recommend going to A&E or ringing 111 at the very least for advice as it can cause infection and lung damage if left untreated.

Oh no, I was going to leave it until tomorrow as I do feel fine. So worried now!

OP posts: