Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Continue reading to learn more about the symptoms of gagging, and when they might be cause for concern. Why gagging is so common in babies, and what you should do if your infant is gagging also are covered.
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Symptoms of Gagging
The main symptom of gagging is the contraction of thepharyngeal muscles. When these muscles contract, the soft palate, located in the back of the roof of the mouth, also raises up.These muscle movements are meant to move food or anything else in the mouth toward the front of the mouth in order to avoid choking.
Additional symptoms of gagging include:
The gag reflex is controlled in the brain stem. The brain stem also includes thevagus nerveandmedulla oblongata. These areas of the brain also control cardiac activity, vomiting, and the salivary glands. So, although rare, you may experience additional symptoms when you gag, including:
Gagging vs. ChokingGagging and choking are not the same thing. Gagging is an involuntary movement meant to prevent choking. The person gagging can still breathe.Chokingis when the airway is blocked or partially blocked. If a person is unable to breath, call 911 immediately.
Gagging vs. Choking
Gagging and choking are not the same thing. Gagging is an involuntary movement meant to prevent choking. The person gagging can still breathe.Chokingis when the airway is blocked or partially blocked. If a person is unable to breath, call 911 immediately.
Symptoms of Gagging in Babies
Infants have a more sensitive gag reflex than older children and adults. This makes it common for them to gag when eating new foods. Usually, this is not a cause for concern but rather a normal part of learning how to eat solid foods.
Symptoms ofgagging in babiesinclude:
Gagging is usually harmless. For infants, it’s entirely normal. But for adults it can be physically uncomfortable and embarrassing.
Common causes of gagging include:
Gagging protects you from choking, so it is a protective response if you try to swallow inadequately chewed food or accidentally swallowed objects. Inadequate chewing can be due to having poor-fitting dentures or lack of teeth.It may also be a habit.
If your tonsils or adenoids in the back of your oral cavity are swollen, this can lead to gagging as there is more contact between them and food, drink, or saliva that can trigger the gag reflex.
In GERD, stomach acid and contents reflux back into the esophagus (food tube), which can result in gagging in infants, children, and adults.
About 10% to 15% of people have a hypersensitive gag reflex.These people might gag in various circumstances, including when they have postnasal drip or when experiencing anxiety. They’re more likely to gag at the dentist, too.
A very sensitive gag reflex can interfere with your ability to try new foods or get dental exams. In extreme cases, this could lead to nutritional deficiencies, feeding problems, or dental health concerns.
How to Safely Make Yourself Throw Up
What Medications Can Cause Gagging?
Antipsychotic medications can have side effects (tardive dyskinesia and choreiform tongue) that cause swallowing problems in younger people or worsen swallowing problems in older people.
Medications that cause dry mouth can also lead to swallowing problems and gagging. These include:
How to Treat Gagging
If choking (airway is blocked) occurs in a child over age 1 or an adult, perform theHeimlich maneuverand call 911 if you are unable to clear the blockage and restore breathing.
Treatment for chronic episodes of gagging depends on the underlying cause. The person should be fully evaluated and diagnosed and treatment recommended that addresses the cause. Some types of treatment for these causes include:
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Gagging?
If you see a healthcare provider for symptoms of repeated episodes of gagging in yourself or your child, they will conduct a medical history, report of symptoms, review of medications, and physical examination. This may be sufficient for diagnosing some conditions that can result in gagging, such as GERD.
Tests that may be performed to diagnose or rule out underlying conditions include:
Gagging is normal and common, especially in infants. However, a child or adult that frequently gags beyond infancy might have an underlying health condition.
Talk to your healthcare provider if:
Summary
Gagging is a reflex that causes the throat and palate to spasm. This is meant to cause objects in the mouth to move toward the front to prevent choking. Gagging is common among babies who are learning to eat and less common among older kids and adults.
Other causes of gagging include inadequate chewing, difficulty swallowing, swollen tonsils, GERD, and having an overly sensitive gag reflex. If you gag frequently, talk to a healthcare provider.
No, gagging is a reflex meant to prevent choking. The main symptom of gagging is a throat spasm. Choking is when food or an object gets caught in the through, partially or fully blocking the airway.
Infants have a more sensitive gag reflex. It’s meant to protect them as they learn to eat solid foods. As they transition to more solid foods, their gag reflex becomes less sensitive, and they’ll stop gagging as much.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sivakumar S, Prabhu A.Physiology, gag reflex. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.Anand MV, Rai R, Bettie NF, Ramachandiran H, Solomon, Praveena S.Acupuncture — an effective tool in the management of gag reflex.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015;7(Suppl 2):S677-S679. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.163601Department of Health.Know the difference between choking and gagging on food. Tasmanian Government.Eachempati P, Kumbargere Nagraj S, Kiran Kumar Krishanappa S, George RP, Soe HHK, Karanth L.Management of gag reflex for patients undergoing dental treatment.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;2019(11):CD011116. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011116.pub3Wilkinson JM, Codipilly DC, Wilfahrt RP.Dysphagia: evaluation and collaborative management.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):97-106.University of Florida Health.Got GERD? Six GERD signs you shouldn’t ignore.Nemour KidsHealth.First aid: choking.Stelter, K.Tonsillitis and sore throat in children.GMS Curr Top Ortorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2013;13:doc07. doi:10.3205/cto000110National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of GER and GERD.National Health Service.Treatment: dysphagia (swallowing problems).Warwicker C.The clinical management of the gagging patient.SAAD Dig. 2017;33:44-47.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of GER and GERD.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sivakumar S, Prabhu A.Physiology, gag reflex. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.Anand MV, Rai R, Bettie NF, Ramachandiran H, Solomon, Praveena S.Acupuncture — an effective tool in the management of gag reflex.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015;7(Suppl 2):S677-S679. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.163601Department of Health.Know the difference between choking and gagging on food. Tasmanian Government.Eachempati P, Kumbargere Nagraj S, Kiran Kumar Krishanappa S, George RP, Soe HHK, Karanth L.Management of gag reflex for patients undergoing dental treatment.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;2019(11):CD011116. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011116.pub3Wilkinson JM, Codipilly DC, Wilfahrt RP.Dysphagia: evaluation and collaborative management.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):97-106.University of Florida Health.Got GERD? Six GERD signs you shouldn’t ignore.Nemour KidsHealth.First aid: choking.Stelter, K.Tonsillitis and sore throat in children.GMS Curr Top Ortorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2013;13:doc07. doi:10.3205/cto000110National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of GER and GERD.National Health Service.Treatment: dysphagia (swallowing problems).Warwicker C.The clinical management of the gagging patient.SAAD Dig. 2017;33:44-47.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of GER and GERD.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sivakumar S, Prabhu A.Physiology, gag reflex. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.Anand MV, Rai R, Bettie NF, Ramachandiran H, Solomon, Praveena S.Acupuncture — an effective tool in the management of gag reflex.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015;7(Suppl 2):S677-S679. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.163601Department of Health.Know the difference between choking and gagging on food. Tasmanian Government.Eachempati P, Kumbargere Nagraj S, Kiran Kumar Krishanappa S, George RP, Soe HHK, Karanth L.Management of gag reflex for patients undergoing dental treatment.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;2019(11):CD011116. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011116.pub3Wilkinson JM, Codipilly DC, Wilfahrt RP.Dysphagia: evaluation and collaborative management.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):97-106.University of Florida Health.Got GERD? Six GERD signs you shouldn’t ignore.Nemour KidsHealth.First aid: choking.Stelter, K.Tonsillitis and sore throat in children.GMS Curr Top Ortorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2013;13:doc07. doi:10.3205/cto000110National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of GER and GERD.National Health Service.Treatment: dysphagia (swallowing problems).Warwicker C.The clinical management of the gagging patient.SAAD Dig. 2017;33:44-47.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of GER and GERD.
Sivakumar S, Prabhu A.Physiology, gag reflex. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Anand MV, Rai R, Bettie NF, Ramachandiran H, Solomon, Praveena S.Acupuncture — an effective tool in the management of gag reflex.J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2015;7(Suppl 2):S677-S679. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.163601
Department of Health.Know the difference between choking and gagging on food. Tasmanian Government.
Eachempati P, Kumbargere Nagraj S, Kiran Kumar Krishanappa S, George RP, Soe HHK, Karanth L.Management of gag reflex for patients undergoing dental treatment.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;2019(11):CD011116. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011116.pub3
Wilkinson JM, Codipilly DC, Wilfahrt RP.Dysphagia: evaluation and collaborative management.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2):97-106.
University of Florida Health.Got GERD? Six GERD signs you shouldn’t ignore.
Nemour KidsHealth.First aid: choking.
Stelter, K.Tonsillitis and sore throat in children.GMS Curr Top Ortorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2013;13:doc07. doi:10.3205/cto000110
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment of GER and GERD.
National Health Service.Treatment: dysphagia (swallowing problems).
Warwicker C.The clinical management of the gagging patient.SAAD Dig. 2017;33:44-47.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of GER and GERD.
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