# \*choke\*\*gasp\*\*wheeze\*

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choke-gasp-wheeze/304192>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 17, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choke-gasp-wheeze/304192 "2005-05-17T03:41:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ataraxia\_Prime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df788c/32.png) [@Ataraxia\_Prime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ataraxia_Prime)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choke-gasp-wheeze/304192/1 "2005-05-17T03:41:15Z")

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Swallowing spiders while you’re asleep? Let’s think about this logically. Ever try to eat laying down? Consciously eating something while lying prostrate is tough enough. I can’t imagine unconsciously gulping down a spider. I have to believe that I’d choke.

Snopes debunked this myth by tracing its origins: [http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/spiders.htm](http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/spiders.htm)

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choke-gasp-wheeze/304192/2 "2005-05-17T11:41:51Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, **Ataraxia** , glad to have you with us.

When you comment on a Staff Report, it’s helpful to other readers if you provide a link. Keeps everyone on the same page, saves search time, etc. In this case, [Does the average person consume four spiders per year in his sleep?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mspidereat.html)

I note that **Doug** ’s answer is from Sept 2000, while the snopes article is from April 2001. Also, note that snopes basically says this is silly, while **Doug** offers reasons that it’s silly, plus the extremely rare situation where microscopic-sized spiders might be swallowed – ones that you wouldn’t feel, even if you swallowed while awake.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choke-gasp-wheeze/304192/3 "2005-05-18T22:59:00Z")

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Well, mites are a distant ralative of spiders, and you have zillions of them in & on your bed & skin, and it isn’t unlikely you occasionally swallow a few.