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.

Doctors at a Mumbai hospital successfully performed a complex coronary angioplasty on an elderly diabetic patient with severely calcified coronary arteries using an advanced technique called Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL), helping restore blood flow to the heart despite multiple procedural challenges.

The patient, who had been experiencing symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease, was found to have extensive calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. Further evaluation also revealed poor blood flow in the leg arteries, making conventional vascular access for the procedure difficult.

What Is Coronary Artery Calcification?

Coronary artery calcification is commonly seen in elderly individuals and people with long-standing diabetes. Excessive calcium makes the arteries rigid and narrow, often making routine angioplasty technically challenging and increasing the risk of incomplete stent expansion, which can affect long-term outcomes

Severely calcified coronary arteries remain one of the biggest challenges in interventional cardiology. The calcium makes the arteries extremely rigid, making it difficult to properly expand the stent. In such situations, conventional angioplasty alone may not be sufficient.

Despite the patient’s complex anatomy and poor peripheral vascular access, the team successfully performed the procedure through the radial artery in the wrist, avoiding access through the diseased leg vessels.

Also read: Stopping Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Linked To 22% Higher Heart Attack, Stroke Risk: Study

Breaking Deep Calcium Deposits In Artery Wall

To prepare the artery for stenting, doctors used Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL), an advanced technology that delivers controlled sonic pressure waves to fracture deep calcium deposits within the artery wall. This allows the blood vessel to expand more effectively, enabling safe and optimal placement of the coronary stent.

IVL works on a principle similar to the technology used for breaking kidney stones, but it is specifically designed for heavily calcified coronary arteries. By modifying the calcium before placing the stent, we can achieve better stent expansion, reduce procedural complications and improve long-term outcomes in appropriately selected patients.

The procedure was completed successfully, with excellent blood flow restored to the affected coronary artery. The patient recovered well and was discharged in a stable condition.

Doctors say the case highlights how newer technologies are expanding treatment options for patients who were once considered extremely difficult to treat due to severe coronary calcification.

Advanced techniques such as IVL are transforming the management of complex coronary artery disease, particularly in elderly diabetic patients, allowing us to safely treat lesions that would have been significantly more challenging with conventional techniques alone.

The case underscores the growing role of advanced interventional cardiology in treating complex heart disease while minimising procedural risk and improving patient outcomes.

The biological landmarks that occur in a woman’s life include many factors and menopause is one of them. Menopause is usually identified with changes in menstrual cycle, hormone levels, hot flashes and even emotional health. Nevertheless, this stage of a woman’s life is also characterized by some other things and needs to focus on woman’s cardiovascular system.

Heart problems have long been considered as the problem that concerns mostly men. Nevertheless, today it is known that cardiovascular diseases still kill more women than anything else and take the lives of almost one-third of all women in the world.

The Hormonal Shift That Changes Heart Risk

Until menopause, estrogen gives the cardiovascular system a number of advantages. It maintains the proper state of the blood vessels and assists in cholesterol regulation and proper vascular functioning. But when the woman gets into menopause, the drop of oestrogen level can cause various internal alterations. They include the increase of LDL cholesterol level, the decrease of HDL cholesterol level, elevated blood pressure, metabolic alterations and abdominal fat accumulation.

All those alterations will increase the chance of getting cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure. According to the American Heart Association, the women become at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases after going through the process of menopause.

Also read: Is Controlling BP Enough After a Brain Bleed? Doctors Explain How to Prevent Another Stroke

Why Women Need Proactive Heart Health During Menopause

On the other hand, women may suffer from various symptoms that are associated with heart disease but differ from those in men. For instance, fatigue, breathlessness, nausea, lightheadedness, jaw pain, back pain or arm pain can sometimes go unnoticed and are misdiagnosed.

Therefore, awareness and medical consultation are vital. Health checkups, blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring, living healthy, eating healthy and individualized medical advice can greatly help in decreasing risks in the future.

Also read: Preeclampsia May End With Pregnancy. Your Heart Risk May Not

The Role of Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare

Treatment for menopause should not be restricted to treating symptoms; it should include care during the entire period of health transition.

Every woman's individual health requirements and guidance through various phases of life should be in accordance with her health needs.

Redefining Menopause: A Phase of Awareness, Not Fear

Menopause should never be seen as a deteriorating process but as a turning point where women can assess the state of their health and adopt preventative measures for their healthcare.

Ahead of World Heart Day, the issue of women’s heart health should go beyond just treating heart diseases and focus on preventive measures. It is not only about asking: “how do we treat heart disease in women?” It is also about asking: “how do we detect risk factors and help each woman protect her heart during one of the most critical periods in her life?” For when women understand what is going on in their body, they get the ability to make the right decisions about their health.

By Dr. Anupama Gangwal, Senior Consultant – Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cocoon Hospital, Jaipur

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), now renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), can begin during adolescence and affect metabolic health, fertility and mental health, AIIMS experts said.

Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, the experts discussed PCOS risk factors, diagnosis in teenagers and the role of lifestyle management.

Obesity and sedentary habits can increase risk, but irregular periods or polycystic-looking ovaries on ultrasound do not automatically mean PCOS. Menstrual irregularity and ovarian changes can be normal during adolescence, making accurate diagnosis important.

Irregular Periods: When Is It Abnormal?

Irregular periods are common in the first year after menstruation begins. Dr. Rajni Sharma, Professor, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS, said: “It is normal and physiological.”

However, persistent irregularity should be evaluated.

“But if they are irregular even after one year, like their duration is coming in between, duration more than 45 days up to 3 years, or after menarche, after 3 years up to 35 days cycle, or less than 21 days cycle, or less than 8 times per year cycles, or their gap is more than 3 months, then we should think that they are irregular and they should be investigated,” she said.

Also read: Why Rebranding PCOS As PMOS Could Mark A New Era In Women’s Health

PCOS Diagnosis: Ultrasound May Mislead

Ultrasound is not routinely used to diagnose PCOS in adolescents because polycystic-looking ovaries can be normal during this stage, Dr. Rajni said.

Dr. Renu Sharma, Child Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, said such findings can also cause unnecessary anxiety.

“Many times, many families come out of fear because there is a polycystic appearance in an ultrasound.”

Some girls may have PCOS-like features without meeting the diagnostic criteria and may instead be considered at risk.

“We call it at risk of PCOS. At this stage, it is best to focus on diet and lifestyle.”

What Raises PCOS Risk?

Family history, obesity, type 2 diabetes and lifestyle factors can increase PCOS risk, Dr. Rajni said.

“Especially if there is type 2 diabetes, obesity, all these things are there, or mother, or her aunt had PCOS, then the risk increases.”

Poor diet and physical inactivity can also contribute.

“They are not eating fiber, fruits, vegetables. And they are consuming more junk food. And, one is, sedentary activity,” she said.

However, PCOS can also occur in girls with normal weight. “Many normal girls can also have it. Normal weight girls.”

Facial Hair Can Affect Mental Health

Facial and body hair can affect self-image and self-esteem in adolescent girls with PCOS, Dr. Renu said.

“These young adolescent girls suffering from PCOS have very significant psychosocial issues," said the expert, adding that anxiety and depression are very common.

They also develop some eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, she said, noting that the adolescent's "self-perception, or self-concept, starts becoming negative.”

What Can Parents Do?

Lifestyle management is an important part of managing PCOS risk and symptoms. Dr. Vandana recommended healthier food choices and regular physical activity.

“You can make a lot of things at home, with good healthy ingredients.”

“Second, in general, you should eat more salads. You should eat more colorful fruits and vegetables, so we talk about this.”

She also stressed the importance of avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, and stressed the need for "one hour of physical activity of moderate to vigorous level daily".

“This means that, while doing that activity, you are not able to talk normally. If you can talk normally, then it means that the activity is not of moderate to vigorous level.”