Things to do when someone is Choking

Choking occurs  by an object that gets stuck in the throat and then restricts airflow. 

Often, when getting food stuck or when a piece of food  lodged in your throat, that blocks the airflow.

Choking may be caused by food or small household items. Some foods are more likely to cause choking than others, including: Hot dogs,nuts,chunks of meat, cheese, or peanut butter, whole grapes, popcorn, raw carrots and toys (any toy that can pass through a toilet paper roll is a choking hazard)

Complications include Death,Hypoxia, Brain Injury

Warning signals

Chocking is life threatening and needs immediate action.  A person who is choking may:

• Have a frightened look on his face
• Cough hard to try to get rid of whatever is stuck in the throat
• Breathe loudly  or with great difficulty
• Can’t speak
• Clutch at his font

The Heimlich Maneuver

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Do you know Heimlich Maneuver?  No?  Okay i will tell you.  The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency technique for preventing suffocation when a person's airway (windpipe) becomes blocked by a piece of food or other object.

• Have the person stand and support him from behind.
• Clench a fist and put it right under the breastbone, with the angle of the thumb against the abdomen.
• Grasp the fist firmly with your other hand.
• Jerk your hands inward and slightly upward giving the victim a hard squeeze.

For children

• Stand behind the child.  Wrap your arms around the child’s waist.
• Make a fist with one hand, thumb side in. Place your fist just below the chest and slightly above the navel.
• Grab your fist with the other hand.
• Press just above the navel.  Give a quick upward push 5 times to make the object or food come out of the child’s mouth.
• Keep pushing until the piece of food or object comes out.

For babies

• After checking the baby’s mouth for debris, put him face down on your forearm with his behind towards you.  Your arm should be resting on your thigh. 
• Slant your forearm downwards so that his head is lower than his body, while holding his jaws to support his head.
• With the palm of your other hand, give the child 4 rapid but light blows between shoulder blades.
• If the obstruction remains, turn the infant on her back so that the head is lower than the torso.
• Place two fingers in the centers of the chest about one finger’s width below the breast bone (Make sure you do not touch the tip of the breast bone.) Press inward rapidly 4 times.
• If this fails, do mouth-to-nose or mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Things you need to do:

• If the person is not choking, let him try to expel the object  himself.  Once the object is expelled, reassure the person and advise him to breathe deeply and slowly
• If the person can speak, cough loudly, or breathe, and has a normal skin color, this means air is still maneuver, if you have been trained to do it.  Do not leave him alone.  Ask someone to seek immediate help.
• If the person is unable to breathe or make sounds, emergency help.  Do the Heimlich Maneuver, if you have been trained to do it.

• Watch for coughing, difficulty in breathing or wheezing that continues even after the object that a partial obstruction that can still move and totally block breathing again.  If this is the case, seek immediate help.

In case it is a child who appears choking:

• Make sure the child is really choking.  If she is coughing forcefully, leave her alone; she’s not choking.  A choking child will gag or make a high pitched sound.
• Ask the child, “Are you choking?” If she nods, let her know you can help
• Do the Heimlich Maneuver for Children, if you have been trained to do it.
• Once the object is out, take the child to the doctor.
• A piece of the object can still be in the lung.  Only a Doctor can say if the child is okay.
• If the child passes out, call emergency, Tell medical personnel what happened.

  Ways to prevent it:

• Chew food thoroughly.
• Don’t force yourself to swallow big chunks of food.
• Chop food into angled pieces because round items are more difficult to extract and will completely obstruct the trachea.
• Don’t eat too fast.
• Avoid talking and laughing while eating.
• Keep small toys and household items away from infants or children.
• Don’t walk or run with food or objects in your mouth.

This video shows how to perform Heimlich Maneuver in a Choking person.  Watch this video about the proper way to execute the Heimlich maneuver.