How to Stop Someone From Choking

A meal can turn into a sudden emergency when a food particle becomes trapped in a person's airway, making it impossible for him to breathe or speak. Sometimes the individual will put his hand on his throat as a signal to others. Here's how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on an adult or child over one year of age.

Difficulty:

Moderately challenging

Instructions

1. Stand behind the victim and wrap your arms around him.

2. Place your fist with the thumb against the victim's upper abdomen, above the navel but below the ribs and breastbone. Clasp the other hand over the fist.

3. 

   Push your fist forcefully into the abdomen with a quick upward and inward thrust (see A). This pushes air from the lungs up into the windpipe to dislodge the foreign object.

4. Repeat several times if necessary.

5. If the victim passes out, hold his tongue with one hand while you reach two fingers from the other hand into the back of the throat. Remove the foreign object if possible. Make sure not to push it farther down into the throat.

6. 

   If you can't remove the object, lay the person on his back and straddle him. Place the heel of your hand on the abdomen with your other hand on top of it. With your elbows locked straight, push forcefully with a quick downward and forward thrust (see B). Attempt to clear the airway with several thrusts.

7. Seek medical attention for the victim after performing the Heimlich maneuver to ensure that it didn't cause any internal damage.

Tips & Warnings

• If the victim is pregnant or obese, place your fist over the breastbone (the bone in the middle of the chest) and perform the upward thrusts.

• If you choke while alone, perform the thrusts on yourself. Or you can force the edge of a chair or railing into your abdomen to push air from your lungs into your windpipe.