Throat injuries caused by food are most often caused by sharp bites or hot food and drinks, but they are often associated with underlying diseases.
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When we talk about throat injuries caused by food, in the anatomical sense we mean an injury to the oral cavity and pharynx. Throat injuries caused by food are most often caused by sharp bites or hot food and drinks, but they are often associated with underlying diseases that can contribute to these injuries.
Diseases and conditions that increase the risk
For example, injuries are more common in people in the stages of viral or bacterial inflammation of the pharynx, such as viral and bacterial pharyngitis or tonsillopharyngitis, then in people with fungal inflammation of the oral cavity and in those with laryngopharyngeal reflux in which acid from the stomach escapes into the pharynx and oral cavity, making it more vulnerable. There are also people with cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, and people with changes in the mucosa of the pharynx and oral cavity due to some therapy, most often during chemo or radio therapy.
General rules of prevention
It is especially important during the aforementioned diseases that affect the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, tongue and pharynx:
- avoid hard and solid foods such as chips, some seeds and some fruits and vegetables,
- food and drinks must not be hot,
- you should avoid spicy food that can contribute to injuries in the mentioned diseases,
- food in vinegar and citrus fruits, alcoholic beverages and coffee should be avoided.
Smoking as a bad factor in these situations should not even be mentioned.
What to do after an injury?
The recommended food for injuries to the mucous membrane of the pharynx and oral cavity should be lukewarm, soft and creamy, and it is recommended to drink only lukewarm drinks.
The underlying diseases should be treated depending on the causative agents; for example, antibiotics for bacterial infections, antifungals for fungal infections and proton pump inhibitors for patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux.
For lesions in the pharynx and oral cavity, it helps to gargle some solutions based on iodine or extracts of certain plants, and the use of gels with anesthetic (for example, lidocaine) or with plant extracts.
In general, lifestyle changes and adaptation to ailments help the mucosa to heal faster.
A fish bone in the throat
One of the frequent reasons for an urgent visit to the doctor is a foreign body in the throat. Most often, it is a fish bone that gets stuck in the tonsils, the root of the tongue or somewhere in the lower part of the pharynx, and this requires an urgent visit to a family medicine doctor who, if he cannot remove the foreign body, sends the patient urgently to an otorhinolaryngologist.
This situation occurs on almost epidemic proportions on Christmas Eve, and somewhat less often on Good Friday, when a large number of people consume fish.
When to contact the doctor
A doctor’s advice should be sought if the pains during swallowing or even independent of swallowing, and most often these are sore throats, soreness of the tongue and mucous membranes of the oral cavity, and the feeling of a foreign body in the throat last longer than 14 days. You should also contact your doctor if there are sores in the mouth and throat or even ulcers that do not go away in a period of two weeks.
Find more professional advice at the polyclinic for the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose and throat diseases and for minimally invasive aesthetic surgery of the head and neck in Alba Rubra.
This text was created in collaboration with portal “ADIVA – your portal for health”
