Risk Factors for Swallowing a Foreign Body

 

Ingestion of a foreign body may be:

(1) intentional

(2) accidental

 

Reasons for intentional swallowing of foreign bodies:

(1) small children

(2) mentally retarded

(3) mentally ill

(4) manipulative (trying to avoid an unpleasant situation, as in prison)

 

Reasons for accidental swallowing:

(1) carelessness

(2) rapidly eating (bolting down food)

(3) intoxication

(4) wearing dentures

(5) numbing the roof of the mouth (palate surface) by drinking very cold drinks, drugs or other causes

(6) caught off guard (surprised, startled, slapped on the back, etc.)

(7) dementia