EILEEN ADLER

“Internal organs act as gatekeepers to the outside world,” David Julius, PhD. 

We often explain, after eating or drinking something in between spates of coughing, that it went down the wrong pipe. Coughing prevents the liquid or food from going toward the lungs instead of the gut.

Through innovative research at UC San Francisco, cells have been identified that causes us to cough. These cells, called laryngeal and tracheal neuroendocrine cells, sense water or acid (from acid reflux) and send signals to nerves leading to the brain. Oops, I need to cough!

 This information may become a potential treatment for chronic cough, or as the coughing response becomes less sensitive, older adults or those with diseases are more likely to aspirate fluid into their lungs and develop pneumonia. 

Caveat: a cough that persists may be a sign of a medical problem so seek medical advice.

But what if something goes down the wrong pipe? It’s what doctors call aspiration. To prevent aspiration, don’t talk with food in your mouth. Take your time when you are drinking and eating. Take care of your teeth and gums. “With good oral hygiene, you can clear even the occasional aspiration quickly with no complicating infection from bacteria from your mouth or lasting damage to your bronchial tubes and lungs,” advises Dr. Bohdan Pichurko, a pulmonologist.

Life Lesson: If choking/coughing are the result of an obstruction, apply the Heimlich maneuver. Dr. Heimlich discovered that by pressing on the diaphragm in an upward direction, the lungs could push enough air out to expel the object. Please familiarize yourself with this maneuver.