Buzz
The human body is an incredible marvel of engineering when it’s working well. But when things go awry, it can feel like a malfunctioning photocopier from the '90s with a never-ending paper jam. Take eating, for instance. Most of the time, it's a seamless experience—until you get a stubborn piece of food lodged in your throat that refuses to budge.
Not long ago, I was having lunch with my brother and ordered a fresh green salad. I was so hungry that I devoured it quickly—so quickly, in fact, that a piece of spinach got stuck in my throat. I could still breathe; I wasn’t choking—but it was stuck. I excused myself and tried repeatedly to clear my throat, but it wouldn’t come loose. I returned to the table and tried eating and drinking with even more determination, but nothing worked. When I got home, I checked in the mirror and could actually see the spinach sitting there, mocking me.
If this has never happened to you, consider yourself lucky. But it *could* happen at any moment, without warning. So let’s explore the different ways to remove a (non-lethal) piece of food stuck in your throat, from the inventive to the downright terrifying.
Swallowing may be all it takes to free that food
Of course, if the food is blocking your airway in any way, seek medical help immediately. This advice applies to those with food stuck but without any immediate distress—unless, of course, you're experiencing a significant amount of mental stress.
The first thing you can try is: do nothing. Your body is quite skilled at breaking down food, and it’s possible that your saliva and the act of swallowing will eventually dissolve the trapped food enough to let it go. Give it a few hours and see if this works for you.
Give Coke a try
While you're waiting, grab a soda. Some studies suggest that soda—especially Coca-Cola—may help dissolve food stuck in your esophagus, so sipping on a few cans while you’re trying not to panic might just do the trick. The worst-case scenario? You’ll be over-caffeinated and bloated, but at least the food's still stuck.
One option is to use a product like Gas-X, which contains simethicone as its active ingredient. These over-the-counter remedies release carbon dioxide in your stomach and esophagus, helping to dislodge the food. Alternatively, Alka-Seltzer or baking soda in water (essentially any effervescent product) might also do the trick.
Try pushing it out with more food
If waiting doesn’t work and the soda is only causing you a stomachache, there are a few more methods to try.
Eating more food can sometimes help, especially if you choose something soft and moist. Bread dipped in a liquid can form a thick, sticky lump that might grab the stuck food and carry it down when you swallow. If soggy bread isn’t appealing, you can also try a banana, which has a similar texture.
Another good method is to eat some butter. The idea is that butter will “lubricate” your esophagus, reducing the friction that’s keeping the food stuck in place.
None of these methods worked for me, but they’re simple, safe to try, and definitely worth considering.
If the food remains lodged, try gently using a chopstick or head to the emergency room.
I began to panic about going to sleep with the food stuck in my throat and risking aspiration, which meant I either had to do something drastic or go to the ER. (Just to clarify, going to the ER is definitely the sensible choice, so that’s my official advice if the methods above fail. But then again, I've never been all that reasonable.) As I could actually see the spinach there, I figured if I just manually moved it, I’d be free of this nightmare.
I couldn’t reach it with my finger (I thought about trying to make myself vomit to dislodge it, but then worried it might not work, so I held off). Instead, I grabbed a chopstick. With a flashlight in one hand and the chopstick in the other, eyes watering and gag reflex on high alert, I approached it like I was playing a Blumhouse version of Operation, and nudged the spinach out of the way. A second later, I was able to spit it out into the sink. Sweet relief.
Would I recommend the chopstick method? Not without hesitation. There are definitely several ways it could have gone wrong. But it did work. I avoided the ER and instantly felt 100% better.
If you ever find yourself in this situation, as long as you’re able to breathe normally, the best course of action is to stay calm, keep swallowing, and enjoy some soft foods and fizzy drinks. They’ll likely help clear it up. Most importantly: If you’ve never had this happen to you, make sure to chew your food thoroughly to avoid it in the future.
