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Foreign substance (if) engulfed
I was wondering if there exists any foreign substance (may be ultra small to noticeable size, hard or soft or blunt or with sharp edges or needle etc.. ) which if engulfed accidentally with food can stay forever in body that too without any symptoms .
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In my clinical experience, the digestive tract handles accidentally swallowed foreign material far better than most people expect. Small, blunt or soft objects taken in along with food usually pass out in the stool within 3 to 7 days, and nothing simply stays in the body forever without causing symptoms. Only sharp, long or pointed items, button batteries and magnets carry a real risk of getting stuck or injuring the gut wall, and these almost always announce themselves with pain, vomiting, difficulty swallowing or blood in the stool. Since you have absolutely no symptoms, no X-ray, scan or endoscopy is warranted at this point, so please do not worry about a silent object inside you. Eat a normal high fibre diet, keep yourself well hydrated and observe your stools for the next few days. If any pain, vomiting, food sticking sensation or black stools appear, book a consultation with me here or an in-person visitA ntyhteh isnagm es mdaalyl saon da ns moXo-trha yt haat ngdoe esx adomwin awtitohn fcoaond be eairtrhaenrge gde.ts digested or passes out in the stool within a few days - the gut has no pocket where it can sit forever. Truly dangerous items like a needle or a battery announce themselves fast with pain, vomiting or bleeding, not with years of silence.
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You have no symptoms, so nothing needs to be done - no X-rays, no scans. Eat normally, keep your bowels regular, and only worry if you get persistent stomach pain, vomiting, black stools or fever. If this thought keeps coming back and disturbing your day, book a Practo consult with me and we will settle it properly instead of chasing tests.
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biological substances get digested . plastic or metals.....some amount gets absorbed and some amount gets excreted. sharp edged, needles can actually tear mucosa and lead to perforation. batteries ingested can also lead to intestinal perforation.
food that we eat is a foreign substance. medicine is foreign substance. it would have been nice if you have mentioned what you have engulfed and why you want to know. if you were just wondering , internet can give you better answers. you can find articles published in major journals. please go through them, they are very insightful. for deeper understanding please go through Yamada's Textbook of Gastroenterology. its a very good book and explains everything in detail
here patients who seek help for real health issues post questions and take opinion from doctors.
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You don't need to worry. It won't stay in the body. Just watch for symptoms.
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Don't worry. Just chill
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If there is no symptoms then it is not there in your gut . It passes through your stomach and passes through your stool. So don't worry.
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if any symptoms occurs , like pain during swallowing food or water. Then do a chest x ray..
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Most of the small foreign bodies pass through the Git.Rarely could remain in the Git without causing any symptoms
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They pass through the GI tract and expelled out in stools...
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Yes. Some objects can stay forever in the body without any symptoms.
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Most accidentally swallowed small, blunt foreign bodies pass naturally through the gastrointestinal tract and are expelled in stool, usually within several days. They generally do not remain permanently in the body without causing any issue.
Next Steps
evaluation with x-ray, ct scan or endoscopy required depending on location of object
Health Tips
Seek urgent medical attention if there is difficulty swallowing, inability to swallow saliva, persistent throat/chest/abdominal pain, vomiting, blood in vomit or stool, fever, abdominal distension, or breathing difficulty.
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Mostly its passout during defecation.
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Do consult
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Eat banana 4 to6.
It will come out with stool. No problem. If doubt induce anxiety ct scan abdomen.
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kindly do connect and consult with me for better treatment plan and advice on your case via PRACTO app
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Dr. Vetsa Sri Krishna Chaitanya
General Physician
7 yrs exp
Rajahmundry
Need a few more details please consult for further evaluation and treatment
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Dr. Gaurav Jaiswal
General Physician
7 yrs exp
Jhansi
Avoid fried and spicy food
Water intake more
Green leafy vegetables more
Fiber meal
Walk
Do connect and consult
Will help you
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Dr. Sachin Bhiwaji Sanap
General Practitioner
8 yrs exp
Hingoli
If you have any symptoms like abd pain , vomiting , aur any sensation in throat then you have to consult to doctors but mostly small substance will pass through stools only
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Dr. Anuj Mothsra
General Practitioner
7 yrs exp
Jhunjhunu
Can help you, kindly consult and provide detailed history for proper diagnosis and further management
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Dr. Pankaj Kumar
General Physician
1 yrs exp
Karnal
Nothing can be stay forever without getting noticed either it will pass or it will cause some complications that will appear as signs and symptoms
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Dr. Deependra Rithauriya
General Physician
4 yrs exp
Bhopal
If a needle/sharp metal object was actually swallowed
Do not assume it will pass safely.
Some sharp objects may not be visible on X-ray.
If it is still in the esophagus → emergency removal.
If it is in the stomach or proximal duodenum → urgent assessment for endoscopic removal is generally recommended because of perforation risk.
If it has already moved into the intestine and is progressing normally, doctors may sometimes monitor it with serial imaging rather than remove it.
It generally does NOT “stay forever” inside the body, but rarely a sharp object can become lodged or perforate the bowel.
Next Steps
Get medical evaluation and X-ray/localization, even if there are no symptoms.
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Dr. Reesha Varshney
General Physician
1 yrs exp
Hathras
Yes possibly can but it may lead to late complications as well depends upon the material and type of foreign body engulfed
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