How to Help Someone Who is Choking

Choking is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a person and is especially dangerous for children. In this article, we'll talk about some of the steps to helping an adult or child who is choking. The knowledge you gain after reading this article could save someone's life––or yours.

To help an adult who is choking, first you need to confirm they are actually choking––this means no air movement at all. If they are still coughing, let them cough as this will usually clear the obstruction. If they are truly choking, position yourself behind them, ball a fist above their belly button, and grab your fist with your other hand (like a bear hug). Now, perform firm abdominal thrusts. For a child, you will alternative between back blows and chest thrusts.

Always call 911 as soon as possible! Don't worry, we'll talk more about the details of these steps in the sections below. Keep in mind that this article is meant to give you the basics, but to become proficient you should consider taking a class and practicing in real life.

How to Save Someone Who is Choking on Something

Choking is incredibly scary. If someone doesn't act fast (or acts improperly), the outcome could be very bad. In this section, we are going to go over the steps to help someone who is choking. Also, we are going to talk about what NOT to do.

Keep in mind that there are several different ways to help someone who is choking (there are also many products on the market that claim to assist with choking. These may or may not have some value. We won't be discussing them here).

Finally, before we begin, know that there are some differences between choking first aid for an adult, child, or pregnant woman.

Here are the steps to help someone who is choking:

• Confirm that they are actually choking (and call 911)
• Perform abdominal thrusts (for older children and adults)
• Perform 5 back slaps and alternate with 5 chest thrusts (for a baby)
• For a pregnant woman perform chest thrusts
• If they become unresponsive, perform CPR and look in the mouth
• For yourself you can find a chair or try the Heimlich on yourself
• Don't put anything in the mouth

Okay, in the next few sections, you'll learn the ins, the outs, and all the details.

Choking first aid steps: Confirm that they are actually choking (and call 911)

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to choking care is trying to help someone who doesn't need help. That's why it's so important to confirm that they are actually choking.

People who are truly choking will not be able to talk and will make no sounds at all. You will not hear any coughing, nor will the person be able to take breaths or clear their throat. True choking is an obstruction of the trachea, the pipe that carries air to and from our lungs.

Many people who are choking will make a common gesture: they will have both hands up around their neck, wide eyes, and mouth open. If you see this, it's time to act.

However, if they are still coughing, you want to let them cough. Why? Because by intervening you could actually cause them to truly choke. Most people are able to clear their airway if they can still cough.

Another reason you don't want to act before they are truly choking, is that abdominal thrusts or back blows could cause injury in some cases. Now, if the patient is truly choking, then the risks far outweighs the danger of back blows or abdominal thrusts. If you see someone is truly choking, don't hesitate––act fast!

The first step is to tell someone to call 911 while you're helping them. If possible, have one person start care and one person call 911. If it's just you and the other person, start treatment. If they go unresponsive, call 911 while you perform CPR (also, you may be able to voice activate 911 on your phone).

Choking first aid steps: Perform abdominal thrusts - How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver (for older children and adults)

The Heimlich Maneuver works by increasing pressure in the lungs and forcing the object from the trachea. In a way, the Heimlich (or abdominal thrusts) is kind of like creating an artificial cough. 

Once you have confirmed that they are actually choking, we perform abdominal thrusts by standing behind the person, creating a fist and placing it just above their belly button. Then, we wrap our other arm around their body and grip our fist within our hand. It should look like you're giving them a hug from behind.

Now, you forcefully pull in and upward, trying to create pressure in the chest cavity and expel the object causing obstruction. Keep performing these quick, forceful thrusts until they clear the object or become unresponsive.

Choking first aid steps: Perform 5 back slaps and alternate with 5 chest thrusts (for a baby)

For anyone who can stand on their own, you would attempt abdominal thrusts. However, for babies, you will alternate between chest thrusts and back blows. To perform this, you want to hold the baby on your forearms with their head lower than the rest of their body. You should be gripping the baby’s head with your hand.

Now, you will perform five forceful back slaps right between the shoulder blades. Then you will alternate, flipping the child into your other hand and performing five forceful chest thrusts with two or three fingers.

Remember to keep the infant's head lower than their body, and to keep alternating. Continue until you clear the object or they become unresponsive (where you would then start normal CPR).

Choking first aid steps: For a pregnant woman perform chest thrusts

But what if someone is pregnant? Or what if they are larger and you cannot reach around their abdomen?

If this is the case, you would perform the same wrap around maneuver, but you would perform the same action; however, instead of wrapping your hands around their abdomen, you would wrap them around the middle of their chest.

The same rule applies here, continue this action until you clear the obstruction or they become unresponsive and you have to perform CPR.

Choking first aid steps: If they become unresponsive perform CPR and look in the mouth

If the choking person becomes unresponsive (they pass out), then you will lay them on the floor and perform CPR, alternating between chest compressions and then looking in their mouth for the object. If you see the object in their mouth, you can roll them to the side so the object falls out.

Be very careful about pushing your fingers in the back of their throat, as you could cause the obstruction to be worse. If you've called 911, then when the paramedics get there they should have special tools that allow them to clear or bypass the obstruction.

Be sure to have a look at this guide on the different ways to perform CPR. Children and adults require slightly different things.

Choking first aid steps: For yourself you can find a chair or try the Heimlich on yourself

What if you're alone when you're choking? In this case, you can try several things. First, you can attempt to perform abdominal thrusts on yourself. This may have varying levels of success.

Second, you can try to perform abdominal thrusts on yourself by forcing yourself onto the back of a chair, trying to create pressure and expel the obstruction. Third, you should try to make a lot of noise––throw things off the table, push pictures off the wall, anything––the idea is that someone will hear you can come to your aid.

Finally, if you can, dialing 911 on your cellphone will at least activate the ambulance. This may be impossible in some cases, but if you can the dispatcher will send an ambulance even though you can't speak to them. They call this a 911 Hang-up, and they should send someone to check it out.

Choking first aid steps: Don't put anything in the mouth

As we said earlier, avoid placing your fingers in the mouth. In many cases, this can just cause the obstruction to be forced further down. However, there may be some cases where you can clearly see the object and are able to safely remove it. Use good judgment here!

Conclusion: The Steps to Help Someone Who Is Choking

Choking is a scary and dangerous emergency. Thankfully, there are methods you can use to clear an obstruction, including back blows, abdominal thrusts, and chest thrusts. If you're alone when choking, try to make noise, get help, and call 911.

Be sure to share this article with someone who may not know the proper steps to help someone who is choking. The more knowledge people have on this subject, the safer they are and the safer you are.

Rescue breathing goes hand in hand when it comes to helping someone who is choking, so be sure to read this guide on how to help someone breathe.