Choking

Overview
Choking is often the result of inadequately chewed food or a foreign object becoming lodged in the throat or windpipe (larynx). Choking occurs most often in children. If not treated promptly, choking can lead to permanent brain damage and even death. If you witness someone during a choking episode, there are several steps you can take in order help the victim and increase their chances of survival.
Symptoms
The choking victim's face often assumes an expression of fear. At first, the victim's face may become reddened, and they may wheeze or gasp. If the person can cough freely, has normal skin color and can speak, encourage the victim to keep coughing, but stay with the person until they are able to cough up the offending object.
If the cough is more like a gasp and the person is turning blue, they are probably choking. If in doubt, ask the choking person whether they 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. Here are the basic steps for performing the Heimlich:
1. Stand behind the choking person and wrap your arms around their waist. Bend the person slightly forward.
2. Make a fist with one hand and place it slightly above the person's navel.
3. Grasp your fist with the other hand and press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust. Repeat this procedure until the object is expelled from the airway.
If the victim loses consciousness, you should stop doing the Heimlich and start CPR. CPR is taught in several communities across the United States. Contact your local hospital or United Red Cross branch for a class near you.