Tips for accidentally swallowing date pits

Dates are a common food in our lives. Most people like to eat them. They are rich in nutritional value and can supplement the nutrients needed by the body to achieve the effect of activating blood circulation and nourishing blood. However, dates usually contain date pits, which can be easily swallowed if you are not careful. In addition, date pits are relatively large in size, which can easily affect the smooth flow of the intestines if swallowed by mistake. So what should you do if you swallow a date pit by mistake?

What happens if you swallow a date pit by mistake?

After we accidentally swallow a hard foreign object, we will undoubtedly panic a little. But do you know how the date pit "travels" in the intestine?

The length of a date pit is generally only about 1 to 2 centimeters, which is a length that allows it to "pass freely" in the intestine and generally will not get stuck in the intestine. If a date pit causes intestinal perforation, in addition to the problems with the intestine itself, such a date pit obviously exceeds the diameter of the intestinal tube.

The diameter of the human intestine is generally 1 to 3 cm. It is elastic and can expand to 5 cm or even wider when intestinal obstruction occurs. The dilated intestine has reduced elasticity and ability to resist damage from sharp objects.

At the same time, the intestine also has peristalsis function. When it peristalses, the intestine will contract. As the peristaltic wave moves, the contracted segment will also move forward. This is the driving force of the intestine to push the intestinal substances to move.

If the foreign body is too long and exceeds the diameter of the intestine, it will not be able to turn in the curved intestine and may get stuck at the bend and unable to move forward. At this time, the intestinal tract will increase peristalsis to force the foreign body to change direction and pass through the curved section.

There are two possible results of enhanced peristalsis: one is that you pass the bend and can continue to move forward. The second is that it gets stuck in the curved section, causing obstruction or perforation.

As long as the diameter of the foreign body is not larger than the inner diameter of the intestinal tract, most of these foreign bodies can be excreted by themselves, including some sharp foreign bodies such as date pits, without causing harm to the human body.

What are the dangers of swallowing date pits?

obstruction

If there are lesions such as tumors in the intestine itself, local stenosis of the intestine will occur. Foreign objects that could have passed through the intestine are now unable to pass through this section of the intestine, causing obstruction or perforation.

Scratches to the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract

Accidentally swallowing hard date pits may also cause scratches to the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. These injuries are mostly superficial and can heal on their own. If it is stuck in the esophagus, you will need to go to the hospital for treatment.

perforation

Perforation caused by accidentally swallowing date pits often occurs in the elderly. Many elderly people have bad teeth and do not chew their food thoroughly when eating. The mouth cannot filter out and spit out all the date pits, giving the sharp date pits an opportunity to penetrate.

The intestines of the elderly are weak. Due to the decline in intestinal function, they all have a certain degree of malnutrition, and the intestinal walls are relatively weak. Their ability to defend against damage from foreign bodies is weakened. Therefore, when there is stimulation from sharp foreign bodies, perforation is likely to occur.

What should I do if I accidentally swallow a date pit?

The main purpose is to prevent or reduce the occurrence of intestinal perforation caused by jujube pits, which requires the following aspects:

For the elderly and children, it is best to remove the core before eating dates. This is the most effective way to prevent accidental swallowing.

It is recommended to chew slowly and develop good eating habits, and not to swallow food whole.

If a date pit gets stuck in the esophagus, you should go to the hospital for treatment immediately. Do not use folk methods such as swallowing rice to force it down.

After accidentally swallowing a date pit, you should pay special attention to the abdominal pain. Once pain occurs, you should go to the hospital in time to avoid delaying the condition.

Do not take paraffin oil and laxatives, as they will speed up intestinal peristalsis and increase the chance of date pit becoming entrapped and perforated.

There is a folk method of eating leeks to treat metal foreign bodies in the stomach and intestines, but it is unreliable. First, long pieces of leek are difficult to swallow; second, leek has no specificity for foreign objects, and even after chewing, it cannot wrap the foreign objects; third, leek wrapping foreign objects will increase the diameter of the foreign objects, which may aggravate (increase) the probability of obstruction.

Therefore, most cases of accidentally swallowing date pits can be excreted by oneself, so there is no need to be nervous, but at the same time you should pay attention to observation to prevent complications. The key is to take precautions, which is the most important thing.