I suffer with severe anxiety, my main problem is thinking that i'm going to inhale my food and drink sometimes.even saliva so i'm very worried to swallow anything but after every mouthful I will make myself cough so much and so hard that I have developed over the 2 weeks a very sharp stabbing pain in my chest. will I be ok? are my lungs infected?
I think with something like this, perhaps hypnotherapy is your best bet? Or maybe CBT. It might help you relax and feel more in control.
thankyou for your help, I definitely need to see a professional about it but could you take a look at my other question and see if you know any other advise to give. the other question is a finished one ( I didn't get to finish this one )
Let me explain a little bit about the lungs.
If you inhale saliva or water it's simply reabsorbed in to the lining of your lungs. It can't/won't hurt you! The reason people cough if liquid "goes down the wrong way" is because the body reacts to expel anything that goes in to the lungs that shouldn't! Your body can't tell the difference between water and a great big lump of food so the coughing mechanism is automatically activated!
If you accidentally swallow a bit of food in to the lungs, you'll most likely give a big, forceful cough and it'll come back up. Even if it doesn't, it'll break down over time and chances are it won't cause you any lasting damage!
On rare occasions, an infection can form from food debris but you'll get plenty of warning that something isn't right and a course of antibiotics will clear it up before it becomes a great concern!
I work with the elderly and am trained in SALT so can assure you the above info is legitimate!
I've cared for extremely weak stroke victims who struggle to swallow to the point they require thickened fluids and I've never lost any of them due to food entering the lung. 😊
I hope this gives you a bit or reassurance! Xxx
Thankyou so much for your help and advice you have reassured me so much. have started taking my antidepressants again and have learnt that if something does go down the wrong way I will automatically cough. so,.if I we're to develop a lung infection what souls it be like because I have sharp, random shooting pains in my chest/breast?