A man had been coughing constantly for 2 years and had not gotten better after taking medication. I thought it was a serious illness. An endoscopy found it came from a single meal.

A man had a constant cough for two years and had not gotten better after taking medication. Finally went for a colonoscopy and thought it was something serious. Anyone know what caused it? It came from the only meal he ever ate.

On July 21, 2024, Mirror Media reported that a 54-year-old man surnamed Xu from Hangzhou, China, was recently examined at a hospital. After suffering from a persistent cough for more than two years, his symptoms had not improved. This made him worried that he might have a serious illness. Repeated CT scans also showed a foreign body in his right lung. Including swollen lymph nodes, but who would have thought that a bronchoscopy would reveal that the real cause was a piece of chili pepper he had choked on while eating a meal two years ago?

The report revealed that since Mr. Xu started experiencing cough symptoms, he had always tried to find a medicine to suppress the symptoms. But it did not improve. This made him worried that he might have a serious disease such as lung cancer. So he decided to go to the hospital for examination and treatment. Finally, he prepared to undergo surgery. With a bronchoscopy first, that's when the doctors discovered a foreign body hiding in the epithelium of the lung duct that connects the lower part of the right lung. It turned out that the foreign body was a piece of chili pepper.

What he found made Mr. Xu feel relieved that he was not as ill as he had feared. He remembered that once, two years ago, he had choked on chili peppers while eating hot pot.

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In this regard, Lao Jing, a thoracic surgeon, said that the human respiratory system reacts differently to foreign bodies. If a foreign body enters the trachea, it is easy to cause severe coughing. However, if a foreign body reaches the tip of the lung, it may not show obvious symptoms. The patient may not even remember choking on food. This causes foreign bodies to remain stuck like this, which is a source of chronic cough and lung infections.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xinhai, director of the thoracic surgery department, analyzed that Mr. Xu may have choked while eating the hot pot. This caused pieces of chili pepper to fall into the trachea and into the lungs. Then a reaction occurs, causing the cells in that part to multiply. The pieces of chili pepper are hidden under the extra tissue. It is difficult to detect them by conventional methods.

That's why experts warn that if you have a persistent cough for a long time and the symptoms do not improve. Including not finding the cause. You should go to the hospital for treatment. Consider the possibility of a foreign body in the trachea.

Thanks for the information from Mirror Media.