2006-08-06 19:32:53 · 26 answers · asked by ritz 2 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
Been doin it 20+ years, no side effects......yet
2006-08-06 19:36:56 · answer #1 · answered by Cheesedippedincheese 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah. I remember I was little and didn't know the little candies in the car dealership were pieces of gum and swallowed them. I thought it was the most annoying candy on Earth because no matter how much you chewed, it never got to the point where you could swallow it. Unfortunately, I was rather stupid as a small child and didn't realize that that was the point of this candy...
Gum takes a long time to digest I think. I don't think it actually takes seven years, but it takes a while. It shouldn't do any harm. It's probably not the healthiest thing to do, so might want to deter your child from swallowing it from no on. I'm sure large amounts can't be good.
2006-08-06 19:45:21 · answer #2 · answered by Deep Down Trauma Hound 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Almost everyone has swallowed a piece of gum. But only a very few people ever need to see a doctor because of it.
Chewing gum is made up of the gum itself (called gum resin), preservatives, flavorings, and sweeteners. The human body is unable to digest the gum resin. But swallowed gum does not stay in the stomach or cause intestinal problems. That's because our bodies move most materials that can't be digested (like gum) through the digestive system and out of our bodies in a bowel movement.
In very rare cases, swallowing a large mass of gum, or many small pieces of gum over a short period of time, can block the digestive tract. Blockages in the digestive system are most likely to happen when gum is swallowed along with large amounts of other non-digestible things (sunflower or peanut shells, fingernails).
One version has it that the gum stays in your stomach for seven years. Another says it winds up in your appendix, along with your fingernail nubs, should you happen to be addicted to nail biting.
All of these ideas, needless to say, are jive. It's true that chewing gum base is indigestible, but humans consume a great many things that are indigestible. All such roughage is simply eliminated from the body after the usual jog down the alimentary canal.
2006-08-06 20:07:00 · answer #3 · answered by caRiNda 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how old they are and how much chewing gum is being swallowed every day.
If it's once in a while then it should be okay, but if it's your kid's favorite candy and does this frequently, then you have a problem.
When my little girl was about 3yrs old, I had to take her to the doctors to have all the gum removed because it literally backed up in her system..... so please be very careful and don't take this as something not very important because it is.
Believe me.... you don't wanna go through the hell I went through and especially you don't want your child to go through that kind of pain.
Best wishes and I hope you and your family stay healthy.
2006-08-06 19:50:55 · answer #4 · answered by KeAhi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It won't make any difficulties.Because,when the chewing gum was put into the mouth,it becmes wet by insulin.though it being wet it won't paste inside anywhere and it will be excreted .Hereafter,Please don't allow to happen such an incident again.Take care of your kid.
2006-08-06 19:42:56 · answer #5 · answered by Kandasamy M 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to information given in an informal context, it takes up to seven years to digest due to the amount of rubber used to produce it. I do not know where to validate the information; however, it is not of nutritional value and may not digest as readily as foodstuff. I would discourage it by offering lollipops as a sweet alternative. Also for fun, try making them at home using common ingredients...
2006-08-09 20:01:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
as long as the child is not showing signs of choking...if the child is breathing fine...the child is fine! I can't count how many times my children have swallowed gum/candy..the list is endless....but I would advise them not to swallow it on purpose for choking reasons...and if they could not do as I had instructed I would not allow them to have gum....
2006-08-06 19:38:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If it is not in esophagus than it ok. Check his excreta for few days, it must be out with it. But if not, or some problem arises just go for sonography. Calm him down., and yourself too. I did it when i was 17.
2006-08-06 19:37:03 · answer #8 · answered by KT 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
when i was a child, i used to swallow my chewing gum also when i get too lazy throwing it. my mom kept scaring me that it would stick to my intestines but it did'nt.
2006-08-06 19:39:09 · answer #9 · answered by seishinfuzen 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
if it is BUBBLE gum then it is a problem because it is dense and can get stuck in your throat
if it is CHEWING gum then it is ok because it finishes
2006-08-06 19:37:34 · answer #10 · answered by x_cybernet_x 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
better to spit it out than swallow it. I have heard of needing surgury to remove gum that has clogged things up.
2006-08-10 16:21:28 · answer #11 · answered by georgia_102560 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋