Choking
is often the result of inadequately chewed food becoming lodged
in the throat or windpipe (larynx). Most often, solid foods
such as meats are the cause. People who are choking usually
have been talking while simultaneously chewing a piece of
meat.
Panic
often accompanies choking. The choking victim's face often assumes
an expression of fear. At first, he or she may turn purple,
and he or she may wheeze or gasp. If some food "goes down
the wrong pipe," the coughing reflex often will resolve
the problem. If the person can cough
freely, has normal skin color and can speak, he or she is not
choking. Encourage them cough, but stay with them
until they are okay.
If
the cough is more like a gasp and the person is turning blue,
he or she is probably choking. If in doubt, ask the choking
person whether he or she can talk. If the person can speak,
then the windpipe is not completely blocked and oxygen is
reaching the lungs. A person who is choking is unable to communicate
except by hand motions. The universal sign for choking is
a hand clutched to the throat, with thumb and fingers extended.
If a person displays this sign, get emergency care but don't
leave the person unattended.
To
remove an object from the airway of a person who is choking,
learn the Heimlich maneuver in a certified first-aid training
course. To perform the Heimlich maneuver (also called abdominal
thrusts):
