Choking: Would You Know What to Do?

Sep 3

Imagine you're sitting at a restaurant when someone at the table next to you suddenly grabs their throat. They can't speak. They can't cough. They look scared.

Would you know what to do?

Choking can happen anywhere and to anyone—at home, at school, at a restaurant, or while you're caring for a child. And when someone's airway is completely blocked, you may only have a few minutes to act.

Knowing how to recognize a serious choking emergency and respond quickly could help save a life.

First, recognize the difference

Not every person who is choking needs the same response.

If someone is coughing forcefully or able to speak, their airway may only be partially blocked. Encourage them to keep coughing and stay with them. Don't interfere with their attempts to clear the obstruction.

A person experiencing severe choking may:

Be unable to breathe
Be unable to speak or make sounds
Have a weak or ineffective cough
Grab their throat
Turn pale, blue, or gray
Become increasingly distressed or lose consciousness

If they can't breathe, cough effectively, or speak, this is an emergency.

What should you do?

For a conscious adult or child with severe choking, call 911 or have someone call while you begin first aid.

Give 5 back blows, followed by 5 abdominal thrusts, and continue alternating between the two until the object is expelled or the person becomes unresponsive.

For someone who is pregnant or for whom abdominal thrusts aren't appropriate, chest thrusts may be used instead.

If you're alone with a choking person, call 911 and follow the dispatcher's instructions while providing care.

What if the person becomes unresponsive?

If the person becomes unresponsive, carefully lower them to the floor and begin CPR.

Call 911 if you haven't already, and follow the dispatcher's instructions.

Each time you open the person's airway, look for the object. Remove it only if you can see it.

Don't perform a blind finger sweep. Trying to reach into someone's mouth when you can't see the object can push it farther into the airway.

What about babies?

Choking emergencies involving infants require a different technique.

For a choking infant who is conscious, first aid involves alternating 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unresponsive.

If the infant becomes unresponsive, begin CPR and follow emergency dispatcher instructions.

Because infants and children aren't simply "small adults," learning the appropriate techniques through hands-on training is especially valuable for parents, grandparents, babysitters, teachers, and childcare providers.

What you should NOT do

When someone is choking, panic can make it tempting to try anything. A few important things to remember:

Don't give the person food or water.
This won't clear a blocked airway and could make the situation worse.

Don't put your fingers in their mouth unless you can see the object.
A blind finger sweep can push the obstruction farther down.

Don't wait to see if it gets better when the person can't breathe or speak.
Severe choking is an emergency. Act quickly and call 911.

What happens after the object comes out?

Even if the person seems completely fine afterward, medical evaluation may be appropriate, particularly if abdominal or chest thrusts were performed or if symptoms continue.

A person can also experience complications after a choking event, so don't assume that clearing the airway means the situation is automatically over.

The best time to learn is before it happens

Nobody expects to be in a choking emergency.

You probably don't wake up in the morning thinking, Today might be the day I need to save someone's life.

But emergencies don't wait until we're ready.

Learning what to look for—and getting hands-on practice with the appropriate techniques—can help replace panic with action.

At Choice CPR Training & First Aid, we believe first-aid training is about more than checking a certification box. It's about knowing what to do when someone needs you.

Because the person who knows what to do could be a parent.

A babysitter.

A teacher.

A coworker.

Or you.

Would you know what to do?

Learn with Choice CPR Training & First Aid and build the skills and confidence to respond when it matters most.