Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Possibly inhaled a grain of rice, what should be done?

September 22, 2011 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,

I may have inhaled a grain of rice while eating earlier. I had the impression that it had entered my windpipe, but after a brief coughing reflex, it did not seem to come back up. Now my questions are: When should I see a doctor in this situation? Can the grain of rice dissolve on its own if it is stuck in the lung? Or can it be coughed back up? Should I be concerned about aspiration pneumonia or other damage?

Greetings

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

1. The rice grain can and will dissolve if you can't cough it up anymore.
2. You don't have to worry about aspiration pneumonia, as more substance would have to be inhaled for that to occur. Additionally, a cooked rice grain is usually germ-free and does not carry any bacteria.
3. With a 99.8% probability, you don't need to see a doctor. An obstruction of the airways in adolescents/adults simply assumes larger particles.

I wish you a nice weekend.... With best regards, Dr. R. Berg