Patient's question:
Recently, I found that my sister's child always has no appetite for meals. Often, they eat based on whether they are in a good mood or not. When they went to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor said it was a disease called esophageal foreign body in children. I don't even know what this disease is? Can esophageal foreign body in children be treated?Doctor's answer:
Most clinical cases have a history of ingesting foreign objects. In infants who cannot express themselves, family members often notice that toys are missing during play. The initial symptoms of ingested foreign objects in children include a noticeable sensation of choking in the throat or esophagus, swallowing pain, drooling, difficulty eating, vomiting, and refusal to breastfeed. When the esophageal mucosa is torn, blood-tinged fluid may be vomited. Infants may cry, inhale accidentally, and suffer from hoarseness, coughing, wheezing, or even suffocation due to larger foreign objects compressing the airway.