Young Filipina Swallows Airpods In Her Sleep, 'Scary, But I'm Lucky It Wasn't In My Lungs'

Editor's Note: The following article is published for educational and informational purposes only. Do not substitute this article for professional medical advice. It is important to always consult your doctor for your medical needs.

One of parents’ worst fears is children swallowing anything dangerous, which might lead to choking. In a rare case exclusively shared with Smart Parenting, Catrina Flores*, a woman in her mid-20s based in Metro Manila experienced a scary scenario. While sleeping, she accidentally swallowed one of her Airpods. Yes, you read that right, the popular wireless earphones, swallowed in her sleep. 

“I was watching videos on my phone before sleeping and before I realized it, I fell asleep with my Airpods on,” she said. It’s not her first time to sleep with her Airpods on, so she never thought it could impose any danger. She’s been an Airpods user for almost five years.

At around 5AM on Sunday, July 16, Catrina suddenly woke up with the feeling of choking. But because she was still half-asleep, her automatic response was to swallow. 

She didn’t realize immediately what happened. But when she couldn’t find her Airpods, she put two and two together. 

“I’m a mouth sleeper [eds: a mouth sleeper is a person who breathes through their mouth in their sleep], and when I realized what happened, I panicked. I told my family first and they couldn’t believe it. I looked up the possible scenarios of swallowing an Airpod and to my surprise, it’s already happened before,” Catrina shared. 

On the same day, she went to the emergency room to have her checked. Most of the nurses and doctors couldn't believe what happened, asking her if she was feeling anything unusual. 

READ ALSO: 'My 3-Year-Old Choked On A 25 Centavo Coin' Mom Pleads With Parents Never To Let Kids Out Of Sight

“I felt no pain at all, maybe that’s why I’m still in denial. I’m like, ‘Can it really happen?’”, she remembered thinking while she’s in the hospital. 

The doctors checked her airways, or if she had any abdominal pains, and fortunately, she didn’t feel anything.  “To make sure everything’s alright, I went through an x-ray and lo and behold, we clearly saw the shape of the Airpod,” she said. 

Even the doctors were surprised but relieved at the same time as well. At the time of the X-Ray, the swallowed Airpod was already in her stomach. The doctors said that this was the safest scenario because the airpod will just pass naturally in her stool. 

'It could have blocked my airways or the battery could have corroded elsewhere, then it could be dangerous.' -Catrina*

“The doctors were confident because it’s already in my stomach. If it hadn’t been there, it could have blocked my airways or the battery could have corroded elsewhere, then it could be dangerous,” she shared.

After the x-ray, the doctors advised her to just go home without any medication. She was just told that if the Airpod won’t come out after two days, she has to undergo a procedure to remove it. 

Fortunately after what likely felt like the two longest days of Catrina's life, the swallowed Airpod came out naturally, “I didn’t really drink any medication but I ate lots of foods that would help, like avocado.”

“The funny thing is that right after I passed the Airpod, it connected automatically to my phone! It pinged, and I wondered, 'Is that possible?' Yes, there it was, it still had 1% battery!” she said with a laugh.

No choking hazard warning on the box

While sharing her experience, she continuously said that she was a lucky case, but it could have been much more dangerous, especially for kids. 

Her doctors also said that it was a bit ‘easy’ for adults, but if it happened to smaller kids, it wouldn't be as easy. “The surprising thing was, there was no clear choking hazard on the box of the Airpods,” she said because she immediately searched for it in the box. 

“There was just a short blurb on the product manual that says, ‘Airpods and case may present a choking hazard or cause injury to small children. Keep away from small children.” 

She said that after her experience, she will never sleep again with Airpods on, “I realized that just because something is convenient, it doesn’t mean it’s also safe,” she said. 

“I’m also sharing my story because a lot of kids are now using wireless earphones, without realizing the possible danger of it. My doctors even said that it was a Gen Z problem, because if it wasn’t wireless, it wouldn’t have happened,” she continued. 

In 2021, a report was published on Apple Insider of a similar case.

If you have a similar experience, please seek professional help immediately.

Wired earphones recommendations

In case you want to give up your wired earphones, here are some recommendations from Spot.ph.

1. Apple EarPods (P1,390)

 

Available on Lazada and Shopee.

2. Marshall Mode EQ Wired Earphones (P4,450)

 

Available on Lazada, Shopee, and Digital Walker’s website.

3. Oppo Original Authentic MH 320 Headset Wired Earphones (P399)

 

Available on Lazada and Shopee.

 

*Names have been changed at the request of the subject.