Have you ever been in such a deep slip and ended up waking coughing? Chances are, you choked on your own saliva. Yes, it is very much possible. Saliva is a clear liquid produced by your salivary glands that play a crucial role in digestion and oral health. This is because it washes away bacteria and food particles. The body on an average produces about 1 to 2 litres of saliva daily, and a lot of it is swallowed unconsciously. However, when saliva does not flow smoothly down the throat, it can lead to choking, which can be uncomfortable.

Here's all that you need to know about what causes it, and how can you prevent it.

How to recognize the symptoms of choking on saliva?

This happens when the muscles that are responsible for swallowing weaken or malfunction due to health issues and the symptoms may include:

• Gagging and coughing without eating or drinking
• Gasping for air
• Inability to breathe or speak
• Waking up coughing or gagging

What are the common reasons? Why does it happen?

Some of the common reasons include:

Acid Reflux

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid travels back into the esophagus and mouth, irritating the esophagus and increasing saliva production to neutralize the acid. This buildup of saliva can lead to choking.

Other symptoms of acid reflux:

• Heartburn
• Chest pain
• Nausea

Diagnosis and Treatment:

Acid reflux can be diagnosed via endoscopy or X-rays. Treatment includes antacids to reduce stomach acid.

Sleep-related Swallowing Disorders

When you are sleeping, some abnormal swallowing can occur during that time and it may cause saliva to pool in the mouth and flow into the lungs. This is what leads to choking. This condition is often linked to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which causes breathing to pause during sleep.

What are the treatment options?

CPAP machines to provide continuous airflow

Oral mouth guards to keep the airway open

Lesions or Tumors in the Throat

Growths in the throat, whether benign or cancerous, can narrow the esophagus and impede swallowing.

Symptoms to Watch For:

• Visible lump in the throat
• Hoarseness
• Sore throat

Treatment:

Treatment may involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, depending on the nature of the growth.

Dentures That Don't Fit

Dentures can confuse the brain into perceiving them as food and it may trigger excess saliva production and cause choking. The best way to work this out is by consulting a dentist for proper fitting and adjustment of dentures.

Neurological Disorders

Conditions like Parkinson’s disease and ALS can impair the nerves that control swallowing.

Additional Symptoms:

• Muscle weakness or spasms
• Difficulty speaking

Treatment:

Doctors may prescribe medication to reduce saliva production or teach swallowing techniques.

Heavy Alcohol Use

Excessive alcohol consumption can relax throat muscles, allowing saliva to pool and cause choking.

Prevention Tip:

Moderate alcohol intake and sleep with your head elevated.

Talking Excessively

Speaking continuously without pausing to swallow can lead to saliva entering the windpipe.

Prevention:

Take pauses to swallow while talking.

Allergies or Respiratory Problems

Thickened saliva or mucus due to allergies or infections can obstruct the throat, especially during sleep.

Additional Symptoms:

• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Sneezing

Treatment:

Antihistamines, cold medication, or antibiotics may be prescribed, depending on the underlying cause.

How can you prevent choking from saliva?

In case of sleep apnea, sleep with your head elevated or on your side. You can also try and avoid lying flat right after eating and eat smaller meals to prevent acid reflux. It is also important that you sip water throughout the day to clear any saliva buildup. In severe cases, use over-the-counter medicines for allergies or consult a healthcare provider.

Do you feel an awful soar in your throat? Have you noticed that anyone you speak to are also complaining of the same symptoms? All of them, and you, seem tired, have a sore throat and no energy for days and weeks to follow. This might be what people are called "mystery disease" or the "mystery throat virus". However, this is actually the adenovirus.

Most patients with bad throat, explain experts have adenovirus, which is a common virus that spreads throughout the year. However, unlike the flu and COVID, which now have their own prescribed medicines, adenovirus has none.

Read: This Mysterious New Virus Could Spread Faster Than Covid-19 And Flu

What Exactly Is Adenovirus?

Adenovirus is a virus that has more than 60 different strains, which is why it is able to cause a variety of symptoms. Adenovirus refers to a group of common viruses that usually trigger cold- or flu-like illness. It spreads easily because it is far more resilient than many other viruses. Ordinary soap, water, and standard disinfectants do not reliably destroy it, allowing it to persist in the environment. As a result, infections often cluster in places where people spend time close together, such as daycares and military barracks. The virus spreads through the respiratory tract, can be shed in stool, and can survive for some time on contaminated surfaces, according to the CDC.

The reason for its spread right now is due to the surge of flu cases in the southern hemisphere which has influenced the outbreaks in the northern hemisphere. Another reason is the lower flu vaccinate rates, which has now made a large number of population more vulnerable to infections, overall, including adenovirus.

What are The Symptoms Of Adenovirus And What Makes It Very Contagious?

While a lot of the symptoms mimics of those in flu or COVID, including shortness of breath, a sore throat and or a runny nose. However, there are certain unique symptoms of adenovirus that include:

• Diarrhea
• Pink Eye or conjunctivitis
• Ear infection or otitis media
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Pneumonia
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Other rare symptoms could also include impact on your bladder or nervous system. As viruses in your bladder can also cause urinary tract infections, and the same virus in your nervous system can cause condition that can affect your brain. These conditions also include encephalitis and meningitis.

Read: Unique Symptoms Of Mysterious Adenovirus And How Long Infection Now Last

What makes this virus unique is that it can spread through easily. Adenovirus is highly contagious. It can spread from one person to another through shaking hands, kissing, or even hugging. The virus could also spread through sneezing, coughing, and if by any other means respiratory droplets transfers to other person in air. It can also spread by touching contaminated surface, and you can get the virus by touching your eyes, nose, or mouths if you do not wash your hands.

The virus can also spread through stool of an infected person. For instance, you can be infected while changing your baby's diaper. It can also spread through unchlorinated water, and a person can be infected with the virus if he or she swims in a pool without adequate chlorine.

Adenoviruses are resistant to many common disinfectants. Therefore, they can remain infectious on surfaces for a long time.

When Should You See A Doctor?

If you are generally healthy, and feel a little down, but do not have shortness of breathe or a high fever, you are safe to go, with supportive care at home. However, pay close attention to those who are already on medical attention, or those who are immunocompromised, or are infants.

If you are sick, have a high fever, and experiencing shortness of breath, it is best to consult your doctor. However, do not show up to your doctor's office, call first.

Ben Sasse, former Senator, on Tuesday shared that he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His diagnosis came at Stage 4.

Is Ben Sasse's Cancer Terminal?

The former two-term senator, 53, revealed this in a social media or X, message: “This is a hard note to write, but since many of you have already sensed something, I’ll get straight to it: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and I am going to die.”

Also Read: 2 Dead, 21 Injured After Pennsylvania Nursing Home Catches Fire

Stage 4 cancers are terminal and his terminal diagnosis was "hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad," he said.

Stage 4 cancers are terminal because the cancer has metastasized, which means it has spread from its original site or the primary tumor to distant organs and tissues. This makes it extremely difficult to cure with localized treatments like surgery or radiation.

However, the American Oncology Institute does note that stage 4 cancer always does not have to be terminal, especially with breakthrough treatment options like targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or precision medicine. There are now also advanced surgical techniques that use minimal invasion procedures.

Also Read: Ben Sasse Diagnosed With Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer: What We Know About His Diagnosis

What Is The Chance Of Survival In Stage 4 Cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer makes up about 3 percent of all cancers in the United States but accounts for roughly 8 percent of cancer-related deaths. Most patients are diagnosed at Stage 4, and the disease is widely regarded as largely incurable. Prostate cancer, by contrast, is the second most common cancer among men, and the majority of those diagnosed do not die from it. The five-year relative survival rate for non-metastasized prostate cancer is 97.9 percent, dropping to about 38 percent once it spreads. These figures highlight how early detection and effective treatment options make prostate cancer far more survivable than pancreatic cancer.

What Are The Treatment Options For Ben Sasse At Stage 4 Cancer?

While treatments including chemotherapy, radiation, and in rare situations surgery are available, stage-four pancreatic cancer is still considered largely incurable. The absence of effective early screening contributes to delayed diagnosis, and although a small number of patients, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have lived longer following surgery, these cases are rare. Well-known individuals including Alex Trebek and Aretha Franklin also battled the disease, which remains one of the deadliest cancers in the United States.

Former senator and former University of Florida president Ben Sasse announced on Tuesday, Dec. 23, that he has been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer, as per CNN News.

In the deeply personal message, the former Republican lawmaker from Nebraska described the diagnosis as a “death sentence,” while expressing appreciation for the steady support of his family and close friends.

“I’m fortunate to have incredible siblings and half a dozen friends who are truly like brothers to me. As one of them said, ‘Yes, you’re on the clock, but all of us are.’ Death is a cruel thief, and none of us escape it,” he added.

For many men trying to conceive, testosterone sounds like an obvious answer. It is often linked with strength, vitality, and male health, so the assumption is that higher levels must also support fertility. In reality, the opposite is often true. Medical experts caution that using testosterone, especially without supervision, can interfere with sperm production and quietly lower the chances of becoming a father.

To know more about the same, we got in touch with Dr. Ambavarapu Divya Reddy, Fertility Specialist, Nova IVF Fertility, LB Nagar, Hyderabad.

Can Increasing Testosterone Help You Conceive?

Dr. Ambavarapu Divya Reddy said, the short answer is no. Testosterone is a male sex hormone, but it does not support fertility in the way many people assume. In fact, taking testosterone can work directly against sperm production. For men who want children, using testosterone without expert guidance can quietly reduce fertility rather than improve it. Here is what doctors want patients to understand.

Why Testosterone Does Not Boost Fertility?

Testosterone is fundamentally opposed to male fertility when taken from outside the body. Using testosterone injections, gels, patches, or pellets suppresses the natural communication between the brain and the testicles that keeps sperm production going. Dr Reddy said, “When this system is switched off, sperm counts fall and in some cases drop to zero. Fertility declines instead of improving.”

This is why men who plan to have children should never begin testosterone therapy without speaking to a specialist.

How Does Sperm Production Work?

Sperm are produced in the testicles with the help of testosterone that is made inside the testicles themselves. This internal testosterone is tightly controlled by the brain through a hormone called luteinizing hormone, or LH.

Dr Reddy told us, when external testosterone is introduced into the body, the brain senses enough hormone is present and stops releasing LH. As a result, the testicles reduce their own testosterone production and sperm production slows or stops altogether.

In real-world practice, many men on testosterone therapy develop extremely low sperm counts or complete absence of sperm, known as azoospermia, often without any obvious symptoms. This is a well-recognised cause of male infertility and one that is largely preventable.

Low Testosterone And Fertility: What Doctors Do Instead

If a man truly has hypogonadism, meaning he has symptoms along with low testosterone levels on blood tests, treatment is still possible but must be handled carefully. Current guidelines from the AUA, ASRM, and endocrine societies strongly advise against starting standard testosterone replacement in men who want children in the near future.

Instead, specialists use treatments that can raise testosterone levels while allowing sperm production to continue. These include clomiphene, human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG, and other targeted therapies that stimulate the testicles rather than shutting them down. Updated guidance for 2024 and 2025 stresses identifying the cause of low testosterone and choosing options that protect fertility.

If you think you have low testosterone but want children

a) Do not self-prescribe testosterone.

b) Consult a reproductive urologist or endocrinologist.

c) Ask about fertility-preserving treatments such as clomiphene or hCG and consider sperm banking if timing matters.

d) If you have already used testosterone, request a semen analysis and hormone tests. Acting early can help guide recovery or fertility treatment.

Testosterone may seem like an easy solution, but external testosterone is a common and avoidable cause of male infertility. If having children is important to you, proper testing and specialist care matter. The treatment that relieves symptoms is not always the one that protects your ability to become a father.