Is it possible to inhale a piece of chewing gum?

[Anonymous]

So here's what happened:

I was crying in the car because we got very bad news from the vet about our cat and when I abrubtly inhaled while crying I felt like I almost inhaled my chewing gum I forgot to spit out. I thought I got lucky because I didn't cough or anything and didn't feel anything weird in my lungs. It only felt like the piece was stuck in my throat but once I drank some water the feeling dissapeared. I thought I had swallowed. It all went so quickly. But now I'm starting to overthink and worry I might have aspirated it because I read thing on the internet (I know that's the worst you can do) about people who had inhaled stuff and got pneumonia etc.

I'm really scared now! Do you think that it's possible that I aspirated the gum without a symptom coming up?

[MaiNameIsSunshine]

It's certainly possible, my 8th grade math teacher's daughter once accidentally inhaled bobby pins. If you can inhale a bobby pin, you can probably inhale gun.

[Asker]

was she in pain or anything?

[MaiNameIsSunshine]

Not in a lot of pain, but it was uncomfortable and when she realized she had inhaled them, she went to the ER and had to have them removed.

[lumos]

I think it would have hurt a lot more and you would have felt like you're choking if you had actually inhaled it. But you can always go to the doctor.

[PippiL]

You'd be in searing agony if you'd inhaled it. Your lungs would be burning like crazy.
Sorry about your kitty :(

[Asker]

Thank you he's still at the vet but he's probably not gonna make it he had kidney failure ;'(

[PippiL]

I'm so sorry. Will the vet let you say goodbye? I lost my dog to cancer last year, and the vet let me hug her while she slipped away.

[Asker]

They're gonna try to help him with an 48 hour iv and stuff but it's only a slight chance he's gonna make it because he's really sick. We can visit tomorrow and if he's still bad in 48 hours they'll put him to sleep :(. I cried the whole night :'(.

I'm so sorry about your dog too :(! Losing a pet is awful! They are like family :(.

[PippiL]

They are. I hope your baby pulls through. Best of luck to you.

[jaketsu]

if you had inhaled it you would ve coughed A LOT. trust me you would feel it

[mr90skid]

So it's stuck in your nose? Blow hard!

[Asker]

funny...

[mr90skid]

lol I was being serious. Sometimes when we chew fast and breathe, a small piece of food will get sucked in our nose til we blow it out. I was suspecting the same happened to you

[Asker]

No that's not the case here. Thanks anyway!