It’s a common habit among children to swallow little objects. They are fascinated by different objects and want to explore more new things. Children swallow tiny things without knowing how dangerous they may be.
You can see many cases when a child swallows a coin, penny, or a dime. No matter how he swallows it. The question is: What happens if you swallow a dime?
Normally, a person who swallows a dime starts feeling vomiting, drooling, coughing, stomach pain, and difficulty breathing. There is also a problem with eating food seen by some people. Blooding salvia, gagging, and fever are some other signs that appear after swallowing a dime.
Sometimes, you may not find any alarming signs and the dime may come out of the stomach in the stool. If it doesn’t happen, it means you need a doctor. Don’t try to remove it yourself. Just call the emergency center and follow the safety tips that they tell you before their arrival.
Let’s read this post to know about it deeply!
How Do You Know Your Child Has Swallowed A Dime
It is a very important point because without knowing about the object how do you handle the problem? So, what are the symptoms that will tell you that your child has swallowed anything like a coin or dime?
Let me tell you!
Here are some signs that will tell you that your child has swallowed something tiny or small. These are listed below:
- He/She may start vomiting, drooling, and coughing.
- Stomach and chest pain
- Breathing problem
- Swallowing difficulty
- Start gagging
- Feeling something in the throat
- Stops eating
As soon as you realize the seriousness of the situation, you must be afraid and become nervous. After observing these signs, be quick to go to the doctor and get better advice. There are big chances of its removal as it may come out in poop. If it doesn’t happen, it means you need medical treatment.
Is Surgery Essential To Remove The Dime
Some tiny objects can easily pass through your trachea or food pipe and come out of the stomach in the stool. The object with sharp edges can get stuck in your throat and create swallowing difficulty and other health issues. The second situation may be dangerous.
If a dime or a penny is stuck in your child’s esophagus, how can it be removed? Is surgery essential for it?
In this case, your doctor can advise you better after a keen checkup. A common treatment for removal of such objects is “Endoscopy ” It is a type of non-surgical treatment that will help to get any stuck item out of your throat or stomach.
Endoscopy is essential if the dime may be lodged in your trachea and may not pass through your intestine. Your doctor may recommend an immediate endoscopy to prevent further damage or any serious issue.
So, surgery is not essential for this problem.
How Long Does It Take To Pass a Swallowed Dime
Are you worried because your child swallowed a dime? Don’t know what to do? Remember that any foreign object penny or dime will pass itself in more than 80 percent of cases. Because of its round smooth corners, it will not damage your inner skin and pass out in stool through the small intestine.
It may take one or two days to expel it from your body naturally by stool. It doesn’t mean your tension will end here. You should have to keep an eye on your child and if you find the alarming signals, call for an emergency. These signs are listed below:
- The child can’t breathe freely.
- He feels difficulty while speaking and crying.
- He starts coughing suddenly.
- He can’t eat properly and hardly drinks.
- He starts vomiting and sometimes becomes faint.
If you find any one of the above-mentioned signs, contact your doctor immediately. Otherwise, there is no need to worry. Just wait for passing the dime out through the stool.
First Aid Tips You should Follow To Save The Child
What to do before help comes to you? It is the most asked question. First aid is essential and life-saving. You must be aware of the safety tips that you can apply before you may reach your doctor. Some first aid tips are listed below that you can apply at home:
(Note: Don’t forget to call the emergency center before doing so.)
- First, give your child some liquid like milk or juice rather than something to eat.
- Try to vomit the child to put the coin out of the throat.
- Also, check the poop because sometimes the object may come out of the intestine in the poop.
- If it comes out in poop, there is no need to go to the doctor.
- Observe the child keenly and notice the changes that come after swallowing a dime.
- Don’t let the child move around and stop him from jumping over the bed or sofa.
These safety tips may help you to prevent your child from further complications. So, follow them carefully.
Safety Tips To Avoid Such Situation
Keep yourself and your child away from such a horrible situation. It is essential because next time you have to face more serious issues. There are some safety tips that you should follow to avoid such incidents and don’t let them happen again.
Let’s read!
- Keep all small objects like coins, pennies, dimes, and buttons away from the reach of your child. There are different germs found in money so keep it at a distance.
- Give your child big objects and toys to play with. Make it possible to keep them sitting at the place where you can see them.
It is not easy to handle the situation when your child starts feeling breathless and choking after swallowing a dime. It may be life-threatening. So, adopt safety tips to avoid the troubles that come later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Stomach Acid Dissolve a Dime?
Pennies and dimes are mostly coated with zinc and a little bit of copper that can be easily dissolved by stomach acid. Zinc can create different problems because of its hardness like vomiting and bleeding.
What to Do If Your Child Swallowed a Dime or a Penny?
As soon as you know that your child has swallowed a dime, take him/her to an emergency room as early as possible. Don’t try any home remedy as it will be dangerous for your child’s life because it may get stuck in a food pipe or trachea.
How Long Does it Take to Digest a Dime?
If you suspect that your child has swallowed a dime but he/she shows no serious symptoms, you have to observe him for at least the next 24 hours. It may take 24 to 48 hours to dissolve in the stomach.
Final Verdict
Here we summarize the informative post about what happens if you swallow a dime. It is clear from the above discussion that it is not good to swallow a foreign object that is sharp, hard, or contains any chemical coating.
You will have to face many health issues and sometimes life danger in the case of swallowing such objects. Most parents are worried because children usually swallow different items while playing with them. Parents should keep an eye on little kids and keep away small objects from them.
By reading this post, you will be able to know the safety tips and first aid tips to control such a horrible situation. Don’t leave your child alone and call an emergency center for immediate treatment.
Share this post with your loved ones to make it possible for them to handle this situation with any fear.
