Cherry Stone Swallowed: What You Should Do Now

If you swallow a cherry stone, you don’t have to worry about possible harmful effects on your health. The nucleus simply travels through the gastrointestinal tract.

Cherry stone ingestion – what you need to know

When eating cherries, it can happen that a pit is accidentally swallowed if you do not pit the cherries first.

• Such a swallowed cherry stone is harmless.
• A cherry stone is round and passes through the gastrointestinal tract without any problems. So it leaves the body naturally.
• It is true that cherry stones contain amygdalin and this plant substance can be converted into toxic hydrocyanic acid in the body.
• However, you would have to chew through the pit for amygdalin to enter the body – and even a single cracked pit will not affect your health.
• A swallowed cherry pit does not pose any danger to children either. It would only be dangerous if the cherry pit got into the trachea instead of the esophagus.
• If this is the case, the foreign body is usually pushed out again by a strong urge to cough. A slap on the back can help.
• However, if the cherry stone gets stuck in the trachea and you have difficulty breathing, please call the emergency doctor immediately.