This holiday weekend, emergency rooms will likely be filled with people suffering from a surprisingly common problem that makes them anything but happy on Thanksgiving: food impactions.
“Typically it’s when people eat dryer, overcooked meats, or meats that are difficult to chew, which is common during Thanksgiving,” says Dr. Richard Shaffer, Gastroenterology Consultants of San Antonio. “Soft breads can form a large clump when swallowed and impact. This can also happen with over-cooked meats, or apples or pears taken in big bites.”
I know how difficult this problem can be because two Thanksgivings ago, my husband ended up in the emergency room. One minute he was enjoying a piece of turkey, the next that piece of turkey was uncomfortably lodged in his esophagus. To be clear, this is not the same as choking. You can still breathe, but you are highly uncomfortable and can’t manage your secretions.
“This becomes an emergency,” Dr. Shaffer says. “As soon as a patient begins to experience food that is not passing through the esophagus it should be evaluated. It might need to be retrieved endoscopically.”
In my husband’s case, my father took him to the E.R. where he went under general anesthesia, and endoscopy, where a doctor put an endoscope down his throat and pulled the turkey out. He described the whole ordeal as scary.
What causes this? Dr. Shaffer says typically patients have something resisting or interrupting the passage of food through the esophagus. This can be caused by various common conditions such as esophagitis (inflammation), esophageal rings (thin membranes), or strictures (scar tissue).
Acid Reflux can cause some of these common conditions. Difficulty swallowing or food impaction can also be a sign of esophageal cancer.
Doctor Shaffer has this advice so that you can avoid an ordeal this holiday season:
— If you have reflux and food is not passing well, see your gastroenterologist
— Avoid eating dry meats
— Chew food well, especially if you have dentures