Fish bone stuck in throat..

[seeker]

At lunch today, my 13 year old dd got a fishbone stuck in her throat. She wasn't choking, she could breathe and drink and even eat, but it was very painful. She could see it when she looked in the mirror and almost reach it with her fingers but not quite. After about 30 minutes with it not shifting we went to our fabulous minor injuries unit at the health centre and a nurse got it out in 2 seconds with a pair of tweezers.

Is there anything first aid-y I should have done? I've just remembered once being told that eating bread is a good thing to do - is that an old wives tale?

That sounds very worrying.

Never heard about the bread thing.

I remember my grandma saying you should eat bread to dislodge fish bones but fortunately it was never tested! The only first aid thing I know is the heimlich (sp?) manoevore, but dont know if that would work for fish bones. It must have been a scary moment

I know about the Heimleich manoevre - I once used it in real life! - but she wasn't choking - it was painful and worrying for her rather than scary, if you see what mean. Good to know I wasn't making up the bread thing!

quite scary nonetheless

I have had to do the heimlich on dd when she was about that age

she had an opal fruit stuck

came flying out ..then she promptly ate it

I am sadly a pro when it comes to getting fish bones stuck in my throat (3 times in 9 months at my worst) and each time I did everything I could to dislodge/remove them before going to A&E/Drs to have them removed properly.

If it's a small bone it can scratch the lining of the throat and it feels like the bone is still there when it could actually have been swallowed already, this feeling can last a while. I've also been told that small bones will normally dissolve on their own and are not likely to cause problems but it is uncomfortable.

If I think I've got a small bone stuck I normally try eating the doughy bit of some bread or a boiled potato (i.e. something softish but with some substance), depending on what's available, to dislodge it. If it's a bigger bone or one which is obviously stuck and it can't be removed at home then there isn't really anything else to do other than visit the Drs or A&E.

From the size of the bone described, it doesn't sound like there was any first aid technique you could have done at home to get the bone out. Hope your DD is feeling ok, it has always freaked me out getting fish bones stuck and as a result it now takes me about three times longer than anyone else to eat fish!

Thank you squashedfrogs - you poor think having it happen so often. The only person I've ever heard of it happening to me before was the Queen Mother!

I could see it quite clearly when the nurse showed me, across her throat just behind the dangly bit. It was about an inch and a half long. I was SOOO impressed by the nurse - he got it out in about 2 seconds!. Dd asked him if he was good at "Operation" and he sad that eh was rubbish at it!

Just heard her telling her friend about it on the phone - referring to her "near death experience"!!!!!

"it now takes me about three times longer than anyone else to eat fish! "

Not 3 times longer than me as I am also paranoid following an unpleasant fishbone experience

I agree that it feels scratched for a good while after. I was convinced there was another one in there.