Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.
DR. SUSAN L. MCGLADDERRY: Hello, my name is Dr. Susan McGladderry. I'm the Medical Director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to give you some general information about choking. This occurs when an object, usually food or toy lodges in the trachea, the main airway and it prevents air from flowing normally either into or out of the lungs. The trachea is usually protected by a small flap of cartilage called the epiglottis which acts like a lid protecting the airway during swallowing. When we breath, it's open, and when swallow that lid closes. Once in a while the lid doesn't close fast enough and an object can slip in through the trachea and gives that feeling that something has gone down the wrong way. Most of the time, the food or object only causes a partial blockage of the trachea and it's likely that we will cough up and breathing will be restored quite easily. Choking and coughing may occur but the person is still able to breath and talk and within a very few seconds, they recover without much assistance. It may be uncomfortable and alarming to watch but usually in a matter of a few seconds, that choking episode is passed. Sometimes however, the airway is completely blocked. When the airway is blocked, no oxygen gets to the lungs and quite quickly, the brain becomes deprived of oxygen, and in this case, choking becomes a life-threatening emergency and you must call for help urgently. The signs that someone is choking include an inability to breathe, gasping or wheezing, an inability to talk, cry, or make any noise. There may be changes in the color of the face from bright red to a bluish color. The individual may clutched their throat and look frightened or alarmed. There's a very simple technique called the Heimlich maneuver which everyone should know. You should learn this as part of a first aid course, but I'm not going to be explaining this to you now. You need to attend a course. Prevention of choking is also very important. Those most vulnerable are very young, particularly children under the age of three. They put things in their mouths. They have a small airway that is easily blocked and they tend to swallow things whole rather than chew them. To minimize the risks of choking, there are number of things that you can do. You should serve food to children cut into small bite-size pieces and take particular care with things like raw vegetables, carrots, nuts, chunks of meat, hard candies. While kids are eating, make sure that they sit. Don't let them run around or play, or talk, while they have food in their mouth. It's also very important to check the toys and household items that you have because they can also pose as choking hazard for your child. Finally, you should remember to follow a CPR or first aid course. Having the skills to help someone who is chocking can save someone's life.
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