Boy Didn’t Chew Bubble Tea Pearls Properly Which Results In Intestinal Blockage

2020-01-19 , 3:00 pm

Last Updated on 2020-11-18 , 8:44 pm

I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it again, Bubble Tea is an addiction.

Contrary to popular belief, the addictive nature of boba isn’t from the tapioca pearls. Don’t believe me?

Read our article here and we’ll explain.

But the fact remains that the tapioca pearls are any certified bubble tea addict’s favourite.

It’s chewy and oh so sweet, but how many of us actually take the time to chew it thoroughly before swallowing?

Here’s a reminder of why we must remember to do so:

A 13-year-old boy from Henan was brought to the emergency room after he had “unbearable abdominal pain”.

He was promptly rushed for a check-up and an X-ray scan to figure out the cause of the pain.

It was then that they discovered that he had intestinal infarction, which means that his intestines were injured.

The doctor then said that he would need to go for an operation.

During the operation, they found two solid foreign bodies of different sizes that were lodged in his intestines.

These foreign bodies were deduced to be the cause of his intestinal infarction.

After the successful operation, the 13-year-old boy finally excreted the remaining foreign bodies in his intestines.

The Reason

Later, they realised that the boy had drunk multiple bubble teas within the week of the incident.

The boy also did not chew the pearls properly before swallowing, which may have led to the intestinal infarction.

The doctor who treated the teenager explained that bubble tea pearls are made of tapioca starch and cornflour which are not easy to digest.

This is coupled with the use of thickening agents that are added to the pearls.

His advice? Control your intake of bubble tea for children and remember to chew your boba pearls properly before swallowing.

Let’s hope that the poor boy doesn’t face such a situation again and that he has learnt his lesson. For the rest of us, let this be a reminder.