Credits: Social Media
Throat expert’s 3 vital reactions if you start choking while alone could ‘save a life’
Choking is a serious emergency which can quickly become fatal if you don’t act fast, and it can be especially dangerous if you are on your own.
An Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon has explained exactly what to do if something is obstructing your airway after former five-time Olympic cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos, from Venezuela, was found dead in her Las Vegas apartment after choking on food.
What to do if you are choking alone
“If you’re by yourself and you start choking on some food this is what you’re gonna do,” Tonia L. Farmer said on TikTok. “Please save this post and share it because it could save a life.”
She outlined three easy steps that could save your life in a choking emergency:
1. Call 911
The first thing to do if you are choking alone is to grab your phone and call 911 (or your country’s emergency phone). Even if you can’t talk, you still need to dial the emergency number and keep the line open. They will know that you need help.
2. Cough hard
After that, try to cough as hard as you can to dislodge the food or object from your throat. If you can talk or cough, that means there is not a “complete obstruction” and some air is still moving through your windpipe.
3. Heimlich maneuver
If you can’t cough at all, no air is moving and you need to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. This well-known technique involves applying short bursts of pressure to the abdomen to clear a blockage in the throat, the NHS explains.
You can do this by repeatedly thrusting your abdomen into a chair or the side of a counter. It can also be performed by making a fist and thrusting it right into the middle of your abdomen underneath the ribcage.
Seek medical assistance after choking
If you are able to remove the piece of food by coughing or performing the Heimlich manoeuvre, it is still important to seek medical assistance even though your airways are now unblocked.
You must get checked by a doctor because there could be some damage to your throat or internal organs depending on how hard you had to thrust. Call 911 again if they didn’t come already or call a family member or friend to help you get to the hospital after a choking incident.
When a food, toy, or other object is blocking the throat or windpipe, oxygen is unable to reach the lungs, which can cause brain damage in as little as four minutes, MedlinePlus explains.
Choking on food is often caused by eating too fast, not chewing food well, or eating with dentures that do not fit well. So, slowing down your eating and chewing your food more can reduce the likelihood of choking.
Tonia L. Farmer is a board-certified Ear, Nose, and Throat surgeon in Warren, Ohio who has been in private practice since 2001. She co-owns the Lippy Group for Ear, Nose, and Throat and the Lippy Surgery Center and gained her medical degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
