What to do if you are choked and there is no one to call for help
'11.05.2021'
Source: Life hacker
These simple actions may one day save your life, writes Life hacker.
Everyone can choke. If there are no people nearby, this could end in tragedy. Therefore, it is worth knowing how to help yourself on your own.
The main thing is not to panic and clearly realize what needs to be done.
A blockage of the upper respiratory tract by a foreign body can be partial or complete.
With partial blockage, the victim may, albeit with difficulty, breathe, cough, speak. With a full breath is impossible. A characteristic gesture in this case is hands clutching frantically.
What to do if you choke
First of all, try to calm down. Panic will not allow you to focus on self-help and will only aggravate the situation.
Try to cough as intensely as possible: this is the main defense mechanism invented by nature. To strengthen the cough, you can bend in half. In this case, the abdominal muscles will help.
Never try to suppress a cough. This will only worsen the situation.
“If there is a mirror nearby, use it: open your mouth, press your tongue down to the jaw with your fingers, pull it up and push it forward a bit. This will improve visibility. If you see a foreign body, try moving it away with a sliding motion of your finger, and then remove it, ”- Ksenia Vozhdalova, therapist at the DOC + mobile clinic.
Do not try to grab something that is stuck in the throat with two fingers. So you can accidentally push him further and worsen your condition.
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What to do if you are suffocating
In this case, a person has no more than one and a half minutes to help himself. After this, most people lose consciousness and the chance of salvation.
- Use a hard narrow object
It can be the back of a chair (but not on wheels), the edge of the bathtub, and so on. The main thing is that you can lean on.
“Bend over so that your upper abdomen is exactly over the hard edge of the chosen object. Relaxing your legs, lean on the object sharply. The pressure in the abdomen will be transferred through the diaphragm to the lungs. This will push the foreign body out. This method is considered the most effective in the practice of rescuers, "- Georgy Budarkevich, senior first aid instructor at the ProPomosh training center.
- Use Heimlich’s technique
Squeeze one hand into a fist. Press it 2-3 centimeters above the navel with your thumb to your stomach. Grasp your fist with your other hand and do five sharp pressure on yourself and up.
Due to the inconvenient point of application of force and possible physical weakness due to lack of oxygen, this method is considered not very reliable. Much more effective when Heimlich’s technique is used by someone nearby.
- Hit the floor
Get on your knees, rest your straight hands on the floor. Shift your hands to the sides and drop your chest to the floor. The shock should increase the pressure in the lungs, a foreign body can fly out of the respiratory tract.
This method is considered more theoretical: you can try, but whether it helps - is unknown.
How to eat, so as not to choke
Bite off less, chew more thoroughly. In this case, the risk of choking is greatly reduced.
Do not talk while eating. “When I eat, I am deaf and dumb” is a very useful rule.
Keep a drink nearby: juice, milk, iced tea to drink food.
And most importantly - take your time. Do not snack on the go: this can lead to your distraction and choking on even a small piece of food. If you feel you are in a hurry, take a deep breath and continue at a more relaxed pace.
Slowly enjoying delicious food is a good way to protect yourself from trouble.
