3. Aspiration Pneumonia
Pulmonary aspiration is when a person manages to inhale foreign objects or substances into their lungs. This might include food, saliva, or stomach acid. It’s also possible for food to become inhaled after traveling back up the esophagus; on a return trip from the stomach. Anything aspirated, depending on its point of origin, could be infected with a variety of germs and bacteria that would affect the normal functioning of one’s pulmonary tree. If the lungs are unable to fend off the infection, pneumonia could develop as a consequence.
Typically, a person’s gag reflex functions as the primary agent in their defense against pulmonary aspiration; a cough, albeit violent, is usually enough to prevent a tragedy. But sometimes one’s gag reflex becomes impaired due to esophageal disorders, lung disease, and GERD, amongst several other possibilities. Depending on the cause of chronic aspiration, invasive surgery may be the only treatment to improve the condition.