We often encounter many people in outpatient clinics who, after sticking a fish spike in their throat, will then eat something like steamed buns, rice, or vinegar, hoping to swallow the spike with them or have it softened by the vinegar. It is very wrong to do this because if you swallow something hard after sticking a fish spike, it is like using a hammer to drive a nail deeper into a wooden board, which makes it difficult for the doctor to get the foreign body and causes more pain and trouble for you. If you are “lucky” enough to get a fish spike into your esophagus with a bun, it can still be dangerous. This is because the fish spike may get stuck in the esophagus or even pierce it, causing a potentially fatal mediastinal infection, aortic hemorrhage, and other dangerous situations. In addition, it is not very practical to drink vinegar to soften fish spines. As we all learned in high school, it takes about half an hour to soak a fish spike in hydrochloric acid to soften the calcium inside the spike. So, can any of us hold a mouthful of vinegar in our throats for more than half an hour? Besides, the hydrochloric acid used in chemistry experiments in middle school is a strong acid, while the vinegar we drink is a weak acid, and it takes longer to soften the fish spines. Also, even if you soften the exposed end of the spike, the part that is stuck in the inside of the pharyngeal tissue is still hard and will make it more difficult to remove the spike. In short, if you have a fish-prick, please go to the hospital as soon as possible in order to minimize your pain and financial expenses.