Larry
|
There are a lot of rumors out there about swallowing gum and what happens afterward. I am glad to set the record straight. In rare cases, swallowing gum can block your digestive system, which could make it impossible to poop for a couple of days (and could even require surgery in very serious cases). But it's pretty rare for swallowing gum to cause problems by itself. And if you only swallow a piece or two of gum, this sort of problem is extremely unlikely (maybe even impossible).
It is true that your stomach can't digest gum in the same way it digests other food, and that's where all the rumors and stories come from. The truth is, even though your body doesn't digest gum like normal food, gum will still make its way through your digestive system just like anything else, and you'll poop it out.
That's most of the time.
If you swallow a lot of gum all at once, or several pieces of gum within a short timeframe, it is possible that the gum could cause a blockage in your digestive system or intestinal tract. And most of the time, gum by itself won't do this - you'll just poop it out. A blockage usually only happens if a lot of gum is swallowed along with some other hard-to-digest material like pumpkin seeds, or inedible objects like pennies or dimes.
If you swallowed a piece of gum or two, you probably don't have anything to worry about. If you are having trouble pooping, or if you're having pain in your intestines, you should see a doctor who can examine your stomach and determine if you have a blockage or other cause for concern.
 Posted 4839 day ago
|