What is the name of my coughing fit?
January 29, 2008 6:19 PM Subscribe
Is there a term for a spontaneous coughing fit caused by "swallowing wrong"? This happens to me randomly and pretty infrequently, but it's occurred as long as I can recall, since I was a kid. Any name for this?
I don't know if it's related, but my mother has the same coughing fits, so maybe it's some genetic glitch? And by swallowing, I am referring to saliva, not beverages.
I don't know if it's related, but my mother has the same coughing fits, so maybe it's some genetic glitch? And by swallowing, I am referring to saliva, not beverages.
The offhanded "went down the wrong tube" comment left me believing for years that there were separate tubes for food and drink.
posted by kindall at 6:29 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by kindall at 6:29 PM on January 29, 2008
Response by poster: Yeah, jessamyn, "went down the wrong tube" is the other phrase I forgot to use. Maybe it's more common than I think. But when I have a fit and turn red and whatnot, and I say (after I recover) "Oh, no big deal, I just swallowed wrong" and some folks seemed baffled by this explanation.
posted by zardoz at 6:33 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by zardoz at 6:33 PM on January 29, 2008
Cough reflex, one of a larger family of airway protective reflexes, which also include the gag reflex and laryngospasm.
posted by TedW at 6:36 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by TedW at 6:36 PM on January 29, 2008
Best answer: That happens to me sometimes, too. Annoying. And talk about being made to feel incompetent--I can't even unconsciously swallow saliva properly!
posted by Savannah at 6:57 PM on January 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Savannah at 6:57 PM on January 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
I get this sometimes if I'm drinking water, followed by some hyuk-hyuk about having a drinking problem.
The frustrating thing is that people's common reaction is to tell me to drink something, when drinking is what caused the cough in the first place.
I never thought about it having a name, though, or whether it was common or not. Interesting.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:12 PM on January 29, 2008
The frustrating thing is that people's common reaction is to tell me to drink something, when drinking is what caused the cough in the first place.
I never thought about it having a name, though, or whether it was common or not. Interesting.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:12 PM on January 29, 2008
That's the name for the difficulty swallowing properly. It can have many causes. You're coughing to get the food or liquid back up from your trachea or lungs. If it's chronic you might want to see a doctor.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:17 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:17 PM on January 29, 2008
The coughing is normal. The missed swallow not so normal.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:21 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:21 PM on January 29, 2008
Best answer: Happens to me too. Usually suddenly and unexpectedly, while just breathing, not swallowing food or liquid. Coughing, difficulty breathing, plus the voice sounds very weird (pitched too high) for a few minutes afterward. Hmmm. Maybe that fits the laryngospasm mentioned by TedW?
posted by exphysicist345 at 7:21 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by exphysicist345 at 7:21 PM on January 29, 2008
The epiglottis closes during swallowing. However, sometimes - especially while talking - the epiglottis stays open and food gets in the area, causing a coughing fit.
posted by Xere at 7:28 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by Xere at 7:28 PM on January 29, 2008
This isn't a term for it, but in my family people used to say something that sounded sort of like "Linka kayla" when it happened, the way you might say "Bless you" or "Gesundheit" when someone sneezes. I have no idea what language this might be; maybe it was particular to my family, I don't know. If anyone else has ever heard such a thing, I'd love to hear about it.
posted by redfoxtail at 7:55 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by redfoxtail at 7:55 PM on January 29, 2008
Best answer: Helloooo... we're NOT talking about swallowing FOOD here. We're breathing normally, swallowing maybe a tiny portion of saliva, and .... WHAM! Coughing fit.
posted by exphysicist345 at 8:30 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by exphysicist345 at 8:30 PM on January 29, 2008
In my family we always said "it went down the wrong side" or "went down the wrong throat." Almost always followed by reminding the victim that humans don't breathe water.
posted by lhauser at 9:06 PM on January 29, 2008
posted by lhauser at 9:06 PM on January 29, 2008
This happens to me all the time, and usually at the most inopportune times (e.g. during a moment or silence or while writing an exam). I've found it to run in families.
There's no commonly-used English term for it that I know of, so I just say I choked on my own spit. This generally gets a laugh at my expense.
posted by wsp at 9:24 PM on January 29, 2008
There's no commonly-used English term for it that I know of, so I just say I choked on my own spit. This generally gets a laugh at my expense.
posted by wsp at 9:24 PM on January 29, 2008
Speaking to genetic glitches:
I often get coughing fits after swallowing, and when I was a little girl, my grandmother would tell me that something "went down the wrong way." I also get very phleghmy and coughy sometimes after a meal, like my grandmother did. I've also always "burped up" a little bit of food after a heavy meal, just as my grandmother did. These things all seem related.
My aunts and cousins also have this happen. We tend to live to ripe old ages in our family, so I don't worry about it too much and chalk it up to a minor genetic quirk.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 10:01 PM on January 29, 2008
I often get coughing fits after swallowing, and when I was a little girl, my grandmother would tell me that something "went down the wrong way." I also get very phleghmy and coughy sometimes after a meal, like my grandmother did. I've also always "burped up" a little bit of food after a heavy meal, just as my grandmother did. These things all seem related.
My aunts and cousins also have this happen. We tend to live to ripe old ages in our family, so I don't worry about it too much and chalk it up to a minor genetic quirk.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 10:01 PM on January 29, 2008
"Went down the wrong pipe."
posted by ALongDecember at 10:19 PM on January 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by ALongDecember at 10:19 PM on January 29, 2008 [1 favorite]
The problem is commonly associated with anxiety of some type or another. And if you weren't anxious before you started coughing....
Also, it used to happen to me once every six months or so but ever since my uvulopalatopharyngoplasty it's been happening about once a month. Twice if I actually try to pronouce uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
posted by tkolar at 1:21 AM on January 30, 2008
Also, it used to happen to me once every six months or so but ever since my uvulopalatopharyngoplasty it's been happening about once a month. Twice if I actually try to pronouce uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.
posted by tkolar at 1:21 AM on January 30, 2008
Twice if I actually try to pronouce uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
In the medical field we just say UP3.
posted by TedW at 6:31 AM on January 30, 2008
In the medical field we just say UP3.
posted by TedW at 6:31 AM on January 30, 2008
I don't know why, but I've found that if I press gently on the front of my throat, the fit passes more quickly than usual.
This happens to me when I'm drinking water too, so am I thinking of something else?
posted by heatherann at 6:38 AM on January 30, 2008
This happens to me when I'm drinking water too, so am I thinking of something else?
posted by heatherann at 6:38 AM on January 30, 2008
I've also noticed that when my acid reflux is acting up, this happens to me more often. I think it has something to do with my esophagus being irritated from the acid.
Do you or your mother have problems with heartburn or acid reflux?
posted by grumpy at 6:39 AM on January 30, 2008
Do you or your mother have problems with heartburn or acid reflux?
posted by grumpy at 6:39 AM on January 30, 2008
My grandfather called this "using your Sunday throat".
No idea what he would call it on Sunday, when, apparently, you'd be allowed.
posted by Sallyfur at 10:42 AM on January 30, 2008
No idea what he would call it on Sunday, when, apparently, you'd be allowed.
posted by Sallyfur at 10:42 AM on January 30, 2008
When that happens to me I think "intelligent design, my ass." Having the breathing tube next to the food and water tube is definitely a design flaw.
posted by kirkaracha at 11:17 AM on January 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by kirkaracha at 11:17 AM on January 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jessamyn at 6:21 PM on January 29, 2008