Why do some people cough when they eat?

Why do some people cough when they eat?

If food incorrectly enters the airways while eating, the body will try to push it out. This is a rare occurrence for most people. It may happen when eating too fast or talking while eating. However, for some people with an impaired swallow reflex, coughing with eating occurs at almost every meal.

What happens if you cough and choke on food?

There is always a risk of choking as food may enter the airways when a person inhales deeply to cough. This can lead to complications like aspiration pneumonia where the lung becomes inflamed as a result of food and digestive secretions.

Why do I feel like I have food stuck in my throat?

Dysphagia can also make it feel like you have food stuck in your throat, causing you to cough. Many conditions can cause dysphagia, including acid reflux and GERD.

How can I stop coughing when I eat?

A few simple dietary and lifestyle changes can help with minimizing coughing when eating irrespective of the cause. Eat small bites and chew slowly. A bite should be small enough to swallow with ease and thoroughly softened by chewing.

Why do I cough and gag after eating food?

Dysphagia. The act of swallowing food and beverages slows and becomes harder to accomplish; sometimes it becomes impossible. It may appear that the body is rejecting the substances, with coughing and the gagging reflex that occurs during and after eating.

Why does my asthma make me cough when I eat?

With asthma, coughing with eating may result from either an allergy to the food or complications of the lung disease itself. As a chronic illness, asthma can irritate the airways, causing persistent coughing when eating. Some food and drinks contain sulphites, an additive that triggers an allergy response in some people, especially asthmatics.

Why do I have a cough after eating dairy?

What’s really happening is that your immune system is responding after being exposed to a trigger; coughing is its way of dealing with it. Many people experience a cough after eating dairy, particularly if they are lactose intolerant.

Is it normal to have a cough after eating?

The respiratory tract and digestive tract share a common passage, namely the throat (pharynx), and it is not uncommon for symptoms associated with one tract to manifest in another. Coughing after eating is one such example as the cough reflex is usually only associated with respiratory tract conditions.