What Happens If You Swallow Gum?
What are the harms of swallowing gum? What should I do if my child swallows gum? There are all kinds of myths about swallowing gum. So, what really happens when you swallow gum? Does it really stay in our stomach for 7 years? Can our intestines become blocked when we swallow gum? What happens if we swallow gum every day? We have reviewed them all one by one for you.
If you are a person who likes to chew gum, you know that there will come a time when you want to remove that gum, but there is no garbage or a piece of paper around. What are you going to do, you can't throw it on the ground, you'll have to swallow it.
So, is it harmful to swallow gum?
Of course, there will be no harm in swallowing a small piece of gum from time to time. However, if you have the habit of swallowing your gum regularly, then things can change.
You swallowed the gum, and then what? According to legend, because it cannot be digested in your stomach, the gum that you swallow stays in your stomach for exactly 7 years. And is this legend true?
Fortunately, dietitian Beth Czerwony explained for reasons that this is not true.
Gum used to be obtained from tree resin, but of course the situation is different today. All the gum we chew today is made from a synthetic substance called gum some. Therefore, it also does not contain any real food ingredients. That's why our body can't digest it normally as a food.
According to dietitian Czerwony, some gum is indigestible and therefore remains in our intestines.
But if chewing gum or any other substance stays in your body for 7 years, it indicates that you have another medical problem.
So, you don't have to worry. Gum does not stay in your stomach for 7 years, not even 7 days.
"If you have swallowed a piece of gum, it will come out of your stool no later than 40 hours later, " guarantees dietitian Czerwony. However, since the gum cannot be digested, it will come out whole, he adds.
It may sound strange or scary, but actually it's not that unusual. Just like chewing gum, some of the foods we consume are also indigestible, so they pass through our intestines as they are. For example, corn kernels or the peel of bell peppers...
Therefore, as long as you only swallow one piece of gum, you don't need to constantly observe your poop and worry about making sure that the gum comes out of your body. Just trust that what goes in will eventually come out.
Although swallowing a small piece of gum is harmless, let's not go crazy.
So, when is it dangerous to swallow gum? If you swallow gum 4-5 times a day, or regularly swallow gum every day, this can pose a danger to your digestive system.
If you swallow gum too often, it can cause intestinal obstruction. And if your bowel is blocked, nothing you eat can pass through there later, and you will feel a lot of pressure and pain because this will cause an accumulation there.
To understand this better, think of your intestines as pipes in your home. If something gets stuck in a pipe and clogs the pipe, the entire system becomes clogged. If the pressure increases inside the pipe and the blockage is not removed, the pipes may eventually crack and even burst.
If you experience intestinal obstruction, unfortunately, it will not improve on its own. If left untreated, it can lead to rupture of the gastrointestinal tract.
If you have swallowed too much gum and have started to experience the symptoms of intestinal obstruction listed below, do not neglect to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Consult a doctor immediately if you are experiencing the following symptoms.
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Feeling of excessive swelling
Severe cramping
Vomiting
What if your child swallows gum? Children tend to take all kinds of strange things into their mouths that they shouldn't take and swallow. However, if it's a small piece of gum that they swallow, you don't have to worry too much. Children, just like adults, will throw out the gum they have swallowed in the toilet in a few hours.
Nevertheless, it is worth being cautious, of course. If your child has swallowed more than one gum, pay attention to whether there are any signs of gastrointestinal discomfort. Observe your child for 24 hours.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has explained that it is not very important for children aged 5 and older to rarely swallow a tiny piece of gum. But still, before giving chewing gum to your child, make sure that they understand that they should chew it and take it out, not swallow it.
Of course, the easiest way to avoid the risk of gum causing intestinal obstruction is not to swallow gum at all. So throw your gum in the nearest trash can. If there are no garbage cans around, you can wrap it in a napkin and keep it in your pocket until you see a garbage.
Although there is no harm in swallowing a small piece of gum every once in a while, there is also no need to treat the gum as food.
It would be best to chew it and throw it away after a while and teach it to our children in this way.
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