# Did I inhale or swallow my gum?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805 "2014-12-09T23:37:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805/1 "2014-12-09T23:37:18Z")

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OK, I was working out on the exercise bike, breathing hard and chewing gum. I take a deep breath and down goes the gum. It felt uncomfortable. I tried my best to hack it up but nothing would come. Stayed on the bike another 10 minutes, then after, tried to hack a little more. Nothing came up.

It has been over an hour. Although there is a little stiffness in my throat, I feel no real urge to cough and seem to be breathing fine.

So I probably just swallowed it. Not in my lungs.

Right??

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**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805/2 "2014-12-09T23:39:42Z")

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IANAD, but if it were in your lungs, I’m certain you would know it.

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**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805/3 "2014-12-10T00:35:03Z")

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If you’re breathing, it’s not in your trachea.

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**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805/4 "2014-12-10T01:06:51Z")

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> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#):
>
> If you’re breathing, it’s not in your trachea.

this. your lungs are incredibly sensitive. a wad of gum in one would not be easy to miss.

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-inhale-or-swallow-my-gum/706805/5 "2014-12-10T01:24:37Z")

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a wad of gum would block a significant portion of a lung. you would notice it.