Digestive Health What Happens If You Swallow Gum? If you swallow a stick of gum here and there, it isn't a problem By Rod Brouhard, EMT-P Rod Brouhard, EMT-P Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Rod Brouhard is an emergency medical technician paramedic (EMT-P), journalist, educator, and advocate for emergency medical service providers and patients. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 23, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Jay N. Yepuri, MD, MS Medically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MD, MS Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Jay Yepuri, MD, MS, is a board-certified gastroenterologist and a practicing partner at Digestive Health Associates of Texas (DHAT). Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Why Gum Is Indigestible What Happens When You Swallow Gum Chewing Gum and Health Benefits Frequently Asked Questions Most of the time, swallowing your chewing gum by accident won't lead to any significant health consequences. The undigested gum will simply pass a day or two later in a bowel movement. However, it you swallow gum regularly, there is a chance that it could lead to complications such as bowel obstruction. Many cases of swallowed gum involve children, but there are rare instances of digestive tract blockage in adults who swallow gum, too. This article discusses why chewing gum can't be digested and what happens when you or your child swallow it. It briefly explores some of the possible health benefits of chewing (but not swallowing) gum. Maximilian Stock Ltd. / Getty Images Why Gum Is Indigestible Originally, chewing gum was made of chicle, a latex sap from the sapodilla tree. Today's products rely on a gum base that may contain resins, fillers, emulsifiers, and waxes, among other things. Flavors and coloring are added to the mix. The digestive system doesn't break down the gum core products, so any gum that you swallow will be excreted in your feces once it has traveled through your stomach and intestines, along with the other food and drink you ingest. Do You Know How Your Digestive System Works? What Happens When You Swallow Gum The gastrointestinal (GI) system consists of everything from the lips to the anus. Typically, food breaks down as it goes through the GI tract. The esophagus doesn't really absorb anything as food (or gum) passes through this tube that connects your throat to the stomach. Any swallowed gum will pass through the stomach and mix in with chyme, the mix produced by digestion that then travels to the small intestines. There, the solid matter continues to break down with the help of other organs, such as the liver and pancreas, as well as bacteria in the intestines. Different nutrients are absorbed through the small intestines, with water making it all easier to move through the system. After passing through the large intestines, the mix is passed from the colon into the rectum and then through the anus. Since swallowed gum isn't digested, it will be the same consistency as it was when it accidentally went into the esophagus. That's why, in rare cases, it may lead to a bowel obstruction. Symptoms of a bowel obstruction include: Abdominal bloating and distension Constipation Severe pain and cramping Nausea and vomiting Treatment for a bowel obstruction will depend on its severity. In some cases, a stool softener may work to help the obstruction pass. In the most serious cases, surgery is necessary. Swallowed Gum and Airway Obstruction Swallowed gum can become stuck in the throat too. It may become lodged in the esophagus, but a more life-threatening concern is if gum gets stuck in the trachea and blocks the airway passage to the lungs. This is more common in toddlers and children, but may occur in adolescents and adults too. Call 911 immediately for a foreign body airway obstruction. What Should You Do If Something Gets Stuck in Your Esophagus? Chewing Gum and Health Benefits If you've swallowed gum, it should pass through your system in less than a week. Apart from the risk of obstruction, the act of gum chewing leads to swallowing more saliva and more air, which may affect gas and bloating. However, chewing gum also offers possible benefits in health care, so long as people don't swallow it. A number of studies find it may have a role in promoting healing after bowel surgery. Chewing gum may help to speed up gut transit time during a capsule endoscopy, a procedure that relies on a tiny camera in a capsule that records images of your digestive tract as it passes through. A 2021 study of 205 people found that those who chewed gum had faster transit times, which may prove a diagnostic benefit and lead to fewer complications. As a diagnostic tool, chewing gum that's designed to change colors is used to evaluate people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when they're eating, to ensure both proper oxygen levels and nutrition. How to Improve COPD Breathing With Dietary Modifications Frequently Asked Questions What should I do if I swallowed my gum? There's nothing to do. You just need to let it pass naturally. What happens if you swallow gum while pregnant? Although it is not recommended to swallow gum, mistakenly swallowing a piece of gum should not harm you or your baby. The gum will travel through your digestive system and get excreted in your stool just as it would if you were not pregnant. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Gas pain? Stool issues? Sign up for the best tips to take care of your stomach. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 8 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Magee JS, Bernick SJ. Undigested Gum Found During Colonoscopy. ACG Case Rep J. 2020 Mar 16;7(3):e00339. doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000000339. Klinjapo R, Krasaekoopt W. Microencapsulation of color and flavor in confectionery products. In: Natural and Artificial Flavoring Agents and Food Dyes. Elsevier; 2018:457-494. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Understanding an Intestinal Obstruction. Fukumasa H, Tsuji S, Kawamura K, Nishimura N. Upper airway obstruction in an adolescent: Can airway foreign bodies be missed without self-reporting? Respir Med Case Rep. 2020 Feb 21;29:101029. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2020.101029. Silva AC, Aprile LR, Dantas RO. Effect of gum chewing on air swallowing, saliva swallowing and belching. Arq Gastroenterol. 2015;52(3):190-4. doi:10.1590/S0004-28032015000300007 Byrne CM, Zahid A, Young JM, Solomon MJ, Young CJ. Gum chewing aids bowel function return and analgesic requirements after bowel surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Colorectal Dis. 2018;20(5):438-448. doi:10.1111/codi.13930 Huang L, Hu Y, Chen F, Liu S, Lu B. Effectiveness of Improved Use of Chewing Gum During Capsule Endoscopy in Decreasing Gastric Transit Time: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Feb 15;8:605393. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.605393. Terashima T, Nakajima T, Matsuzaki T, Iwami E, Shibui T, Nomura T, et al. Chewing ability and desaturation during chewing in patients with COPD. Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 2019 Sep 10;89(3). doi:10.4081/monaldi.2019.1090.