Heimlich maneuver for emergency relief of choking people

Eating in a hurry can make you choke. Moreover, eating while talking or laughing out loud. In most cases, the stuck food can be easily removed by coughing it up. However, if you see someone choking and having trouble getting it out, get help as soon as possible. Although trivial, your help is very important because choking can cut off the supply of oxygen to the brain and can be life threatening. Here's a guide to helping someone who is choking with a technique called the Heimlich maneuver.

How do I know if someone is choking?

Generally, a person who is choking will grip his throat with both hands. If the case is mild, the person choking can still talk (even if it's difficult), cry, cough, or breathe.

However, if the person cannot remove the object stuck in their airway, the oxygen supply to the lungs will be blocked. After 4-6 minutes without enough oxygen, brain damage can start to occur.

Therefore, pay attention to other danger signs, such as:

• Inability to make a sound or speak.
• Difficulty breathing or noisy breath sounds.
• Cannot cough when asked to cough.
• Blue or blackish skin, lips, and nails.
• Loss of consciousness.

Immediately perform the Heimlich maneuver on the person. The Heimlich maneuver can save lives if done correctly.

What is the Heimlich maneuver?

Heimlich maneuver is a first aid and emergency term for helping a choking person by pressing firmly on his stomach. This movement will place a large amount of pressure on the person's stomach and chest so that objects stuck in the airway can escape.

You can perform the Heimlich maneuver for people of all ages who are choking, including babies and pregnant women.

How do you perform the Heimlich maneuver to help someone who is choking?

Before performing this maneuver, make sure the person is still conscious. Then, follow these steps:

1. Stand behind the person, and wrap your arms around their hips in a hugging position. If the person is in a standing position, place one of your feet between them so that you can support the person if they pass out.

2. Clench one of your hands, making sure your thumb is in the fist. Place your fist slightly above the person's navel but below the sternum. Position the outer side of the thumb facing the person's stomach. Hold your fist tight with the other hand. See the image below:

Fist position for the Heimlich maneuver (source: WebMD)

3. With your fist, jerk hard and fast into the stomach, pointing upward. You may need more energy for large people and less energy for children or small adults. See the picture below:

Give a strong jolt into the stomach, pointing upwards (source: WebMD)

You may need to repeat the procedure several times before the object falls off. However, if you have done it many times and nothing happens, call for medical help immediately.

The way to perform the Heimlich maneuver on a person who is lying down is the same. It's just that at first position your body to kneel astride on top of his body. Make the same fist and push your fist into his stomach and pointing up, as in the above step.

If the person loses consciousness, lay the person down and try to free the airway with your finger in a sweeping motion. If you cannot remove the object, perform CPR. If the object causing the choking has been released but the person has lost consciousness, then perform rescue breaths through CPR.

If the person who is choking is pregnant, the method of helping her is a little different. For pregnant women, your fists should be placed slightly upward, around the base of the sternum. The next steps are the same as number 2-3 in the guide above.

Perform the Heimlich maneuver on the baby

If the choking child is under 1 year of age, follow these steps:

1. Sit down, then support the baby's body with your arms and lie flat on your thighs, leaning forward so that his head will be lower than his chest.
2. Hold the baby from the front firmly using the palm of your hand, so that the position of the head does not wither against your thigh.
3. Give 5 gentle strokes between the shoulder blades of the child with the heels of your hands. See the image below:

How to perform the Heimlich maneuver on babies (source: WebMD)

1. If that doesn't work, turn the baby's body onto his back and rest his head on your arms and thighs so that the baby's head is lower than his body.
2. Place 2 fingers on the center of the sternum and apply 5 quick presses on the chest.

Repeat soft blows on the back and pushes on the chest until the object comes out and the baby can breathe or cough on its own.

Perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself

If you are choking and there is no one around you, you can do the following:

1. Make a fist and place it slightly above your belly button, thumbs facing in.
2. Hold your fist tightly with the other hand and push it in and up at the same time.
3. Do 5 belly thrusts, and repeat until the object comes out and you can breathe or cough on its own.