What to Do If Someone Is Choking?

Imagine sitting in a restaurant and seeing someone choking on food, coughing hard to clear their throat. I know it’s scary, and anyone can experience similar situations but what to do if someone is choking to comfort them? Choking happens to the majority of individuals at some time in their life. Although choking lasts for a short time and doesn’t pose any real danger, it can sometimes be life-threatening.  

Choking is a medical term that is referred to an obstruction caused by a foreign object. You might face choking when the air passage to the lungs is blocked by something like food. In such cases, immediate first aid for choking is necessary. When someone is choking, the airway is partially or completely blocked, making it difficult to breathe. Choking is the fourth primary reason for death due to injury in the United States. Most cases of choking are minor, but sometimes it can be a real threat and needs immediate first aid help or emergency procedures from a medical professional if the blockage doesn’t clear.

What Cause Choking?

When we hear the word “Choking,” the most common reason that comes to our mind is “Food.” Food is the most common reason for choking among the elderly and especially children. We must be cautious while consuming food like popcorn, nuts, carrots, hot dog, peanuts, and grapes. Food that contains bones should also be eaten carefully. But the choking is not caused by the food alone. There are various other reasons which can cause choking. The following are some of the reasons responsible for choking and we must always be ready for the treatment and first aid:

• Allergic reaction
• Some inedible items
• Diseases

Types Of Choking

All types of choking are severe and should require immediate medical attention. There are mainly two types of choking partial airway obstruction, also known as mild choking, and complete airway obstruction, also known as severe choking. Knowing the type of choking will help to determine the types of medical interventions someone requires. Following are the types of choking.

Mild Choking

Mild coking or partial airway obstruction is caused due to partial blockage. A person suffering from mild choking can talk and cough. You can hear the wheezing and gagging sound. When you see someone with mild choking symptoms, you must encourage them to cough hard. Following are the ways to identify mild choking:

• The choking person can breathe, cough and cry.
• The person will be able to talk.
• Usually, the victim will clear the blockage themselves.

Severe Choking

Severe choking is the complete blockage of the airway. Breathing becomes difficult for the person. Call 911 immediately if you find someone with severe choking symptoms. Following are the ways to identify severe choking:

• The victim will be unable to breathe, cough, and cry.
• The person cannot talk.
• They require help immediately. Otherwise, they will lose consciousness.

What are Signs of Choking?

Severe choking is the complete blockage of the airway. Breathing becomes difficult for the person. Call 911 immediately if you find someone with severe choking symptoms. Following are the ways to identify severe choking:

• The victim will be unable to breathe, cough, and cry.
• The person cannot talk.
• They require help immediately. Otherwise, they will lose consciousness.

How to Stop someone from Choking?

You can prevent choking in an adult by:

1. Cutting food into small pieces and chewing thoroughly.
2. Avoid talking or laughing with food in your mouth.
3. Staying calm and being mindful of dental issues.
4. Checking food labels for choking hazards and learning the Heimlich Maneuver.
5. Knowing emergency numbers and considering CPR training

You can prevent choking in children by:

1. Supervising while eating and cutting food into small pieces.
2. Encouraging chewing and instructing children to chew thoroughly before swallowing.
3. Avoiding hard candy, nuts, and small objects that could be choking hazards.
4. Keeping small toys, coins, and marbles out of reach of young children.
5. Teaching children not to put objects in their mouths.

What to do if someone is Choking?

You might be wondering what to do if someone is choking in your presence. In such a situation, acting calmly and providing the right choking first aid can save anyone from choking. The principles of first aid for choking differ for different age groups. Let’s learn how to save a choking adult, child, and pregnant woman.

First Aid for Choking Adult

If you see someone choking, you must help them quickly and calmly. The first thing is to make sure they are okay, and then you can encourage them to cough. The object completely blocks the airways if the person cannot speak or breathe. It would help if you gave first aid for choking. Follow the steps below if someone is choking:

• Check for Breathing and Speaking

If the person can’t speak or breathe, the airway is completely blocked, and immediate action is required.

• Call 911

If the obstruction isn’t cleared quickly, call 911 or your local emergency number. Get help from others around you, or yell for assistance if no one is nearby.

• Encourage Coughing

 If the person is able to cough, encourage them to do so. It may help dislodge the object causing the blockage.

• Give Back Blows:
  1. Bend the person over at the waist.
  2. Place one arm across their chest, and with your other hand, deliver five firm back blows between the shoulder blades
• Perform Heimlich Maneuver (Abdominal Thrusts):

1. Stand behind the choking person and wrap your arms around their waist.
2. Make a fist, placing it just above their navel.
3. Grasp your fist with your other hand and perform five strong, upward thrusts.
4. Repeat if necessary until the object is cleared or they can breathe and cough independently.

Note: Do not give abdominal thrust to babies and infants under one year.

Perform abdominal thrust with enough force, which creates enough air pressure to dislodge the object blocking the airway. You can increase the force of the thrusts by leaning the person forward slightly and using your body weight to help push the object out.

Clear the airway of an unconscious choking person:

• Lay them flat on their back.
• If the obstruction is visible, carefully remove it with your finger.
• Do not attempt to clear the airway blindly, as this may push the object deeper and make things worse.

If someone shows clear symptoms of choking deliver a five-on-five first aid approach, give 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts. Continue the process until the blockage is dislodged. – Red Cross

First Aid for Choking Child (Under 1 Year)

Infants and children are more at risk of choking. They are the most to be cared for while eating because they are still learning and a small obstruction can lead to choking. In this situation, any parents would go nulled but acting calm and right approach of first aid can’t harm your little child.

Abdominal thrusts can not be applied to a child, so what to do if an infant is choking? To clear the airway of a choking baby younger than age 1:

• Sit and hold the baby facedown, rest your forearm on your thigh, and hold the infant’s chin and jaw to support the head.
• After you position the baby thump the baby’s back gently yet firmly 5 times in between the shoulder blades. The back blows should release the airway obstruction.
• If breathing does not start face up the baby and hold on to your forearms while resting on your thigh.
• Give 5 gentle yet firm compressions with your index and middle finger. The chest compression should be about 1 and ½ inches deep.
• Repeat the back blows/thumps and chest compression if the baby does not start breathing normally.
  Begin infant CPR if the airway is clear but the baby is not breathing.

Note: Call 911 or Emergency Medical Service immediately. Do not wait for things to go out of hand.

First Aid for Choking Pregnant

If the choking person is pregnant delivering abdominal thrusts is kind of impractical because you can’t reach your hands around the stomach, at the moment give chest thrusts.

• Stand behind the person, and put your hands around the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs.
• Give quick chest compressions, and perform as Heimlich maneuver.
• Repeat the method until the foreign object is removed from the airway.

CPR for Choking

If a person becomes unconscious while choking, you must perform CPR. Providing CPR for a choking victim helps to circulate oxygenated blood throughout the body. Here are the steps to begin CPR in the context of choking:

1. Put the person on a solid surface with their back facing up.
2. Kneel next to their chest and place the heel of your hand (one hand) on the center of their chest.
3. Your other hand should be on top of the first hand, and You should interlock your fingers.
4. Keeping your arms straight, press down on the person’s chest with quick, forceful abdominal thrusts. The chest compressions should be about two inches deep and performed at a rate of about 100-120 per minute.
5. After 30 chest compressions, tilt the person’s head back and lift their chin to open their airway. Please take a deep breath and give the person two mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths by blowing into their mouth until you see their chest rise.
6. Continue performing CPR, giving 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths, until the person begins to breathe on their own or emergency responders arrive.

Learn more in detail about how to perform CPR on different demographic patients.

It is essential to stay calm and act quickly when someone is choking. If the person is unconscious or you are unable to help them using the Heimlich maneuver or CPR, call 911 or your local emergency number for assistance. Emergency responders are trained to handle choking emergencies and will be able to provide the necessary care to help save the person’s life.

Also read: What to do when some one is having heart attack?

CPR and First Aid Training For Choking

There is the significance of first aid and CPR training in the event of emergencies like choking. These emergencies require someone who can recognize the symptoms early and provide the necessary treatment quickly and efficiently. You can get trained in CPR and First Aid to handle these situations more calmly and efficiently.

Heart Start Offers CPR and First Aid Training to anyone who wants to learn the required knowledge and confidence to act in a crisis. This course can be taken by anyone, even without a medical background. We also offer BLS training classes, ACLS training classes, and PALS training classes in San Francisco Bay Area. So, join us at Heart Start CPR and be ready to help a choking person in your presence.

FAQs of First Aid for Choking

What to do when choking on saliva?

If a person is choking on saliva, encourage them to cough and call 911 for immediate help if they cannot breathe.

Can you do CPR if someone is choking?

If the person becomes unconscious while choking, you must perform CPR. CPR can help to get rid of the airway obstruction. Always follow the latest American Heart Association’s guidelines of CPR for the effective outcome of the process.

Do you give water to someone choking?

If the victim is getting air and not choking do not hit on the back or give water to drink. Instead, encourage the victim to cough hard continuously. If the problem goes on to worsens the situation Perform Heimlich Maneuvers or thump on the back. Commence appropriate first aid procedures based on the demographics of the individual in need.

How many back blows when choking?

Bend the victim forward and give 5 back blows in between the shoulder blades gently and firmly. Thumping on the middle of the back creates a heavy vibration and pressure in the airway which often helps in clearing airway obstruction.

What to do when choking but still breathing?

In the case of choking but still breathing do not attempt to remove the obstruction or even thump the back of the victim. Encourage the individual to cough hard and continuously, allowing time for the airway obstruction to dislodge. Do not offer any food or liquids until the blockage has been cleared.

What is the number one priority when someone is choking?

Clearing airways, or swiping out the foreign object from the windpipe should always be the first priority for choking. A blocked windpipe that prevents breathing is a critical situation that can potentially result in suffocation and even death.