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.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been discharged from the ICU but will remain in the hospital for “some time” as he recovers from pneumonia, according to his spokesperson.

In a post on social media platform X, spokesperson Ted Goodman said Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized earlier this week in critical but stable condition.

Giuliani, who served as New York City's mayor from 1994 to 2001, was previously diagnosed with restrictive airway disease following the infamous 9/11 terrorist incident, where he “took down the mafia, saved New York City, and ran toward the towers on September 11th".

However, the incident left Giuliani with lasting health complications, Goodman said, adding that the former NYC Mayor "is recovering from pneumonia”.

“The virus quickly overwhelmed his body, requiring mechanical ventilation to maintain adequate oxygen and stabilize his condition,” Goodman said.

Calling him the "same fighter he's always been, and he's winning this fight,” Goodman said that the "mayor and his family appreciate the outpouring of love and prayers sent his way”.

Notably, Giuliani is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump. In 2025, Trump also announced awarding Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.

What Is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung tissue, most often caused by infections. It can affect one or both lungs and can range from mild to life-threatening, especially in vulnerable populations like the elderly, young children, or those with underlying health conditions.

There are several types of pneumonia, classified based on their causes—bacterial, viral, and fungal—and each has distinct patterns of transmission and severity.

What Causes Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is not a single disease but a syndrome resulting from various infectious agents:

Bacterial Pneumonia: This is the most common type, often developing as a secondary infection after a cold or flu. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent culprit.

Viral Pneumonia: Caused by viruses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), this type often starts in the upper respiratory tract and spreads to the lungs.

Fungal Pneumonia: This type is less common and usually affects individuals with weakened immune systems. It's typically contracted through environmental exposure, such as to soil or bird droppings.

Early Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Pneumonia can be insidious. It often begins with symptoms that mimic the flu: headache, fatigue, and fever. But as the infection progresses, signs become more serious:

• Persistent cough with green, yellow, or even bloody mucus
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain, especially when breathing or coughing
• High fever, chills, and night sweats
• Confusion, especially in the elderly
• Nausea or loss of appetite

In a shocking case, a 68-year-old woman in the US who took antibiotics for inflammation developed an alarming skin reaction, leaving her skin black and blue.

The unusual case, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), noted that the woman developed dark patches on her skin very quickly, within two weeks of starting the drug — a course of minocycline, an oral antibiotic.

Two weeks before the onset of the skin changes, she had started taking 100 mg daily of oral minocycline to treat rosacea, which causes chronic inflammation and redness of the face.

Over the course of six weeks, dark patches appeared on the woman's arms and legs. It ranged from a bruise-like dark blue and purple to jet-black.

Her doctors also noticed blue-gray "hyperpigmentation" on the woman's forearms and shins, as well as on the sides of her tongue. The woman noted that the patches had first appeared on her legs before cropping up elsewhere.

Rosacea is a common skin condition that leads to the formation of small, red bumps and pus-filled pimples on the skin, and evidence suggests that antibiotics like minocycline can help eliminate those bumps.

Writing in the paper, Aarti Maharaj, from the University of Florida, shared that hyperpigmentation is a well-established side effect of minocycline, in which patches of skin become darker than the skin surrounding them.

While the condition typically develops after months of treatment, it may rarely occur with shorter courses, the expert said.

In this case, the woman was diagnosed with type II minocycline-induced hyperpigmentation, which is "defined by blue-gray discoloration of normal skin on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs," according to Maharaj.

Doctors advised the patient to stop taking minocycline and to avoid sun exposure, as ultraviolet light is thought to worsen hyperpigmentation in these cases. Six months later, the hyperpigmentation in her limbs had "abated somewhat" but was still visible.

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Minocycline And Hyperpigmentation

According to Mayo Clinic, minocycline belongs to the class of medicines known as tetracycline antibiotics. It works by killing bacteria or preventing their growth. However, this medicine will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.

It causes hyperpigmentation:

• Type I shows up as blue-black discoloration on scarred or inflamed skin on the face, rather than on healthy skin on the limbs.
• Type II leads to blue-gray discoloration of normal skin on the extensor surfaces of the arms and legs.
• Type III appears as muddy-brown pigmentation on sun-exposed areas of the body.

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According to a frequently cited study, the side effect shows up in about 28 per cent of people in this population, although that research included only a small number of patients. The true incidence of the side effect is unclear, Live Science reported.

Once a person stops taking minocycline, the pigmentation can take months to years to dissipate, reports suggest. In type III cases, it sometimes never goes away.

Kidney disease is one of those conditions where myths quietly cause a lot of damage. Misinformation about symptoms, diet, medicines, and treatment can delay diagnosis, worsen kidney health, and prevent people from taking simple steps that could protect their kidneys early on.

Myth: Kidney disease is rare.

Fact: It’s actually quite common, but many people don’t even know they have it.

Myth: You’ll feel it if something is wrong.

Fact: Early chronic kidney disease (CKD) is usually silent, and symptoms often appear only after significant damage has already occurred.

Even something as simple as a slightly raised creatinine is often ignored.

Fact: Even mild elevations can signal a meaningful loss of kidney function.

Myth: Dialysis cures kidney disease.

Fact: Dialysis does not cure kidney disease. It only replaces some kidney functions to help keep the body in balance.

Myth: If dialysis is needed in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), it means lifelong dialysis.

Fact: Dialysis in AKI may be temporary. In advanced CKD, however, it is often long-term or lifelong unless a kidney transplant is performed.

Diet myths don’t help either

Myth: More water is always better.

Fact: Hydration is important, but too much water isn’t helpful for everyone—especially in advanced CKD, where fluid intake may need to be restricted.

Myth: All kidney patients should eat the same diet.

Fact: Kidney diets are highly individualized. High-protein diets, often seen as healthy, can increase stress on damaged kidneys. Plant-based proteins can be a suitable alternative in many cases.

Myth: Herbal or indigenous remedies can cure or prevent kidney disease.

Fact: Many of these remedies are unregulated and may actually worsen kidney damage because of hidden toxins or heavy metals.

Myth: Painkillers are harmless.

Fact: Regular use of medicines like NSAIDs can quietly damage the kidneys over time.

At the end of the day, kidney disease isn’t just about treatment—it’s about awareness. Getting the facts right can make all the difference.