Although the experience of swallowing an animal bone can be intensely uncomfortable, doctors say there is no reason to panic as 80 per cent of itinerant bones pass though the body harmlessly.
According to new research carried out by Dusseldorf University Hospital, chicken and fish bones were shown by the research to be the most likely objects swallowed accidentally by adults, 'The Telegraph' reported.
False teeth are said to be the third most commonly swallowed object. Children aged between six months and six years meanwhile are the group most likely to accidentally swallow undesirable objects, the most dangerous of which include batteries and magnets.
In the most extreme cases, one per cent of people need surgery to retrieve problem bones and other objects. However, researchers stress that most cases are resolved naturally, without medical intervention.
The emergency procedures are typically used in cases where a patient has swallowed especially sharp bones or any foreign body longer than 6cm.
In cases where surgery is required, time is often in short supply, say experts.
Annually 1,500 Americans don't get medical help quickly enough and die after choking on foreign objects.