What Happens To Your Throat When You Swallow Really Hot Food – Health Digest

Most of the time, you can soothe a burned throat by sipping on some cool water and letting it gently enter your throat, sucking on some ice cubes, and gargling a solution of warm water and salt, per Tuggeranong Square Medical Practice. If you feel discomfort several hours after swallowing the hot food, this is when you should be concerned about your sore throat. See a doctor. An ear, nose, and throat specialist will examine the damage before recommending what needs to be done. 

There was also the case of the British national, Darren Hickey, who died due to complications that arose from having ingested a really hot fishcake while at a wedding (via Yahoo Life). Hickey’s lower airway had been damaged due to the incident, which eventually led to asphyxiation. 

Thermal injuries result in your body releasing more blood to the site of the injury, explained emergency physician at Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge hospitals in British Columbia, Dr. Adam Lund, per Yahoo Life. This can result in inflammation that can disrupt your airflow. “That decreases the diameter available a room [sic] for saliva or moving air up and down,” explained Dr. Lund. “On a minor level, that can cause hoarseness in the voice or a sense of tightness and discomfort. On a severe level, it can severely cut off ability to move air.”