Most of the time, the choking is mild and therefore, in these cases it is advised:
- Ask the person to cough 5 times with force;
- Knock 5 times in the middle of the back, keeping your hand open and in a quick upward motion.
If this does not work, or if choking is more severe, such as eating soft foods such as meat or bread, you should immediately start the Heimlich maneuver, which consists of:
- Stand behind the victim, who must also be standing, as picture 1 shows;
- Wrap your arms around the person's trunk;
- Close the fist of the hand that has more force and place it, with the knot of the thumb, over the mouth of the victim's stomach, which is between the ribs, as in figure 2;
- Place the other hand on the hand that has the clenched fist;
- Make pressure with your hands on the person's stomach, inwards and upwards, as if to draw a comma, as shown in the picture 3.
See what to do in case of infants and children under 2 years.
The pressure created by this maneuver in the stomach helps to move the object through the throat above, releasing the airways, but should not be done in children under 2 years or pregnant. After this procedure it is normal for the person to start coughing, so it is important to let the person cough, as this is the best way to avoid choking.
Watch how to proceed in case of choking:
What to do if nothing works
If the person continues to choke and can not breathe for more than 30 seconds after the maneuver, it is recommended to call for medical help by calling the 192. During this time you can keep the Heimlich maneuver or try to turn the person upside down and try to shake it so that the piece that is choking moves and lets the air through.
If it is safe, and if the person is not clenching their teeth, one can try to place the gauge by mouth to the throat in order to try to pull the object or other food that is trapped. However, it is possible that the victim tends to close his mouth tightly, which can result in wounds and cuts in the hand.
If the person faints and stops breathing, one should stop trying to take the object from the throat and start the cardiac massage until the medical help arrives or until the person reacts.
What to do when you choke on your own
In cases where you are alone and the cough is not helping, you can follow the following steps:
- Stand in the position of 4 supports, with your knees and hands on the floor;
- Take the support of both arms at the same time, stretching them forward;
- Let the torso fall toward the ground quickly, to push the air out of the lungs.
Ideally, this maneuver should be done on a rug, but on a smooth and hard surface. However, it can be done directly on the floor because, although there is a risk of breaking some rib, it is an emergency maneuver that can help save the life.
Another option is to perform the maneuver on a tall counter, supporting the weight of the body with the arms stretched on the counter and then letting the trunk fall on the counter with force.
