Foreign body-fish bone in the throat

A fish bone Mackerel or bangda removed from the back of the tongue of a patient

A middle aged couple settled down for their scrumptious Sunday lunch of fish curry when the lady felt something scratch the back of her throat. She tried the obligatory home remedies of swallowing rice and banana, and thought the fish bone must have been swallowed. When she still had the uncomfortable sensation in the right side of the throat (she was pointing to the exact spot), she visited a couple of hospitals bust did not get the desired aid. Next day she was examined (by laryngeal mirror)only a small bit was barely visible, but it was removed completely with a pair of forceps. She was lucky and went home happy.

Fish bones in the throat are fairly common. Their size varies according to the fish. Smaller bones if impacted get dissolved fairly easily and create no problems.

However,  if larger ones are not removed the part will get infected and pus will form causing an abcess, complicating things.
Fish bones sometimes do not show up on x rays. They may need endoscopic removal under anaesthesia.
Do’s and don’ts about fish bones:
If you feel that a fish bone is stuck in your throat,
Stay calm
Do not attempt to remove it on your own by sticking your fingers down your throat
Do not induce vomiting in the same way. Luckily the lady had not done the same. The throat gets badly scratched and swollen making it difficult to examine
Sometimes it’s better to avoid home remedies like rice or bananas as sometimes the fish bone might get lodged in the air pipe or stick further down
Check with your doctor immediately for help.