My relative is a smoker and is experiencing a similar case to the person above. Today mucus stuck in his throat caused it to become clogged and he started to choke. He was wheezing because he could take in breath past the clogging.
What can we do to prevent this from happening again?
And if it does, would it help to do the him lick maneuver?
Please help. And recommending to quit smoking wont help, he has tried for years already to quit. Thanks so much,
Hi,
Your best step is to stop smoking. It would be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor, there are options for medications that would help you quit.
The lining of the lung airways is lined with mucus that performs the function of trapping dirt, bacteria, etc. There are tiny hair-like projections that move the mucus up into the throat, and the normal person would swallow this without even knowing it.
In the smoker, these hair-like projections are destroyed, and the body would compensate by forceful ejections (aka coughs).
The quality of the sputum may vary indeed from time to time. It may signify infection, bronchitis, or pneumonia more than it would represent cancer. Infections can be pretty bad if they worsen, hence, it would be important to see your doctor again for this.