It's been a hectic week,
but you finally have a night to yourself.
You settle in front of your TV
with your favorite meal.
You swallow the first bite,
but something's wrong.
The food is stuck in your throat,
and it's not budging.
You try to cough,
but nothing happens.
You try crying out
but no sound escapes your mouth.
You're choking.
If you don't act fast,
this situation could kill you.
This is
Choking occurs when an object
gets lodged in your throat.
If it completely blocks your throat,
you can't get oxygen in your lungs.
When you breath in oxygen,
your lungs move that oxygen
to the blood cells that make it
around the rest of your body.
You're in danger of asphyxiating,
or not getting enough oxygen
to keep you from passing out.
And if you lose consciousness
while you're asphyxiating,
your brain might not get
enough oxygen to function.
It's called cerebral hypoxia.
You could have severe brain injury or death.
Choking is the fourth cause
of unintentional death.
It results in about
As of 2018,
the odds of dying from choking
were one in 2,700.
So it's crucial to know what to do
if you, or someone else, is choking.
Choking can be terrifying.
It's not as if you can reach down your
throat and pull out the blockage.
So what can you do?
Choking occurs in every age group.
So how can you tell if it's
happening to someone else?
Look for their two hands
to be clasped around their throat.
And if you're choking,
try coughing while holding your throat.
This signals other people
that you're in trouble.
Other signs are wheezing,
gagging,
or not being able to speak, laugh, or cough.
Look for a very red face or blue lips.
These are easy signs to see in adults.
But you'll need to watch children carefully.
They might not know
how to signal that they are choking.
Watching for color change in the face
or the lips could be the early sign
you need to save their life.
But what if you're alone, and you're choking?
This is a scary situation,
but there are three things
that you can do to clear the blockage.
First, try to cough up the blockage.
But if you can't get rid of it that way,
make a fist.
Place the thumb side of your fist
between your belly button
and your ribcage.
Place your other hand on top of your fist.
Then push, as hard as you can, on your hand.
This will push on the bottom
of your diaphragm,
forcing air up through your throat.
Hopefully, this will clear the blockage.
If that doesn't work,
keep your hands in the same position,
and find a large, sturdy chair.
Lean quickly over the back of the chair.
If there's no chair,
use a countertop.
This should give your
diaphragm a stronger push,
and hopefully dislodge the blockage.
If you are the one choking,
or you see someone else choking
then you will need to act very fast.
Your brain can function with the oxygen
that's in your lungs when you begin choking.
But this only lasts for four to six minutes.
After that, your brain will start
to be damaged by cerebral hypoxia.
After 10 minutes without oxygen,
there will be irreversible brain damage.
Spotting or giving the signs
that you are choking as early as possible
may very well be the key to saving your life.
Here's how you can help
another person who's choking.
First, there's the Five-and-Five method.
Stand beside, and just behind,
the person who's choking.
Put one hand between their shoulder blades,
and your other hand on
their chest to brace them.
Bend over at the waist,
so they're parallel to the ground.
Then hit them on their back,
with the heel of your palm, five times.
Then stand behind them,
and wrap your arms around their waist.
Make a fist, and place it
between their belly button and ribcage.
Put your other hand on top of your fist.
Then, push your fist inward and upward.
Do it hard and fast.
This is the Heimlich maneuver.
The Five-and-Five method,
and the Heimlich maneuver,
may dislodge the blockage.
And keep these points in mind,
depending on the person
you are trying to save.
If the victim is obese, or pregnant,
don't put your fist between
their belly button and their ribcage.
Instead, place your fist
at the base of their breastbone.
If a child is choking,
the Five-and-Five method is best.
Sit down,
and place the child over your forearm,
so they're facing the floor.
Firmly but gently,
give them five hits on the back.
Turn the child around,
and place two fingers
in the middle of their breastbone.
Give them five compressions.
It's best not to choke at all.
So clean up your home
to protect young children.
Put away things like marbles,
rocks,
coins,
pen caps, and safely pins.
Sitting at the table to eat,
and cutting food into small,
manageable pieces
can also reduce the risk of choking.
Everyone needs to
chew their food well, too.
Don't eat quickly,
and don't eat facing down.
Avoid choking,
and make sure your brain
has enough oxygen to keep you alive.
But what if choking
wasn't cutting off your oxygen supply?
What if it was something more sinister?
Like being buried alive?
There's no need to hold your breath
for the answer.
We have that video right here,
on another
How to Survive.