It is not unusual to have pain immediately after swallowing or inhaling an object. A swallowed object may scratch or irritate your throat. You may feel as if you have a scratch in your throat or as though the object is still in your throat when it is not.

Severe coughing after inhaling an object may lead to chest wall pain (costochondritis). Most of the time the initial pain or discomfort will go away without medical treatment.

Severe pain or increasing mild to moderate pain after an object has been swallowed or inhaled may be a symptom of a more serious problem. The object may:

• Be stuck in the respiratory tract, esophagus, or stomach.
• Have irritated, damaged, or perforated tissue during its passage through the digestive tract.

A doctor can evaluate the cause of pain and recommend treatment.