A woman in Singapore had to spend nine hours at the polyclinic and the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department after she felt something stuck in her throat and was unable to get it out by herself.

It was only revealed to the woman, Vanessa, after multiple tests and endoscopies, that the blockage was no other than a bean sprout she had eaten during lunch the day before.

Vanessa subsequently shared her unusual experience in a TikTok video on Jan. 10, 2024.

@wafflenessaAnd yes, I still like tau gei :)♬ original sound - Vanessa Chia

What happened

Speaking to Mothership, Vanessa revealed that the incident took place in October 2023.

On that fateful day, the 26-year-old had just finished lunch with her boyfriend when she felt something stuck in her throat.

At first, she thought she only felt so because she just had mala hotpot and rojak, which contained peanuts, and she tried to overcome it by drinking water.

Vanessa and boyfriend tried to remove the object

However, the feeling of choking lingered even after she returned home that night, recounted Vanessa.

Upon lying down, she had a sudden cough, which finally allowed her to see and confirm that something was indeed stuck in the back of her throat.

After failing to pull it out despite trying for around five minutes, Vanessa asked her boyfriend for help.

However, she felt her throat forcing down the blockage each time her boyfriend tried to yank out the object, including with a tweezer.

"I was very scared that it was part of my throat, so I swallowed it back in," said Vanessa.

@wafflenessa Replying to @ethaciel ♬ original sound - Vanessa Chia

Sought professional help the next day

The couple decided to visit the polyclinic the next morning after the choking feeling did not disappear as Vanessa had hoped.

After showing the clinic staff a picture of the inside of her mouth taken by her boyfriend, which showed what was stuck in her throat, Vanessa was sent straight to a nurse, who subsequently referred her to an A&E department.

After arriving at the A&E department at about 12pm, Vanessa underwent multiple tests, including X-rays, before finally meeting her doctor at around 8pm.

Underwent rounds of endoscopy

As the doctor couldn't determine what the blockage was based on the picture provided by Vanessa, an endoscopy was performed by inserting a tube in Vanessa's nose, which subsequently reached her throat, Vanessa recalled.

Upon detecting the blockage, the doctor performed another endoscopy on Vanessa with a thicker tube, as she would need to put a scope and a tong inside to determine what the object was and remove it.

According to Vanessa, the tube was this thick:

Nurse took out blockage after two attempts

Despite inserting the tube in both her nostrils five or six times over the course of an hour, Vanessa's doctor and her assistant were unable to take out the object, said Vanessa.

As such, the doctor gave Vanessa some time to rest before asking another nurse for assistance.

While the nurse managed to remove most of the object in one try, the doctor assessed that there was still some residue left behind.

When the second nurse eventually pulled the remaining parts of the blockage out, Vanessa said she could even hear a "tik" sound.

It was only revealed then that the object was a bean sprout.

Its root had somehow wedged itself into her throat, recounted Vanessa.

She also shared she spent around S$150 on her medical bills that day.

Still eating bean sprouts today

Despite her unusual encounter with bean sprouts, Vanessa said she would still eat the vegetable today, but with a little bit more care.

When asked what advice she would give fellow diners who want to enjoy bean sprouts without visiting the hospital, Vanessa highlighted the importance of chewing the vegetable properly, pointing to how the bean sprout that stuck in her throat was one whole piece.

"And, for people who cook tau gei (bean sprouts in Hokkien) at home, maybe make sure you cut off the ends," she added.

Top images via Vanessa