If you swallow a foreign object, it usually will pass through your system without notice. But some objects can get stuck in the tube that connects the mouth and stomach, called the esophagus. Or they can block the airway and cause choking. Give first aid as quickly as possible if you or someone else is choking.
To prepare yourself for these situations, learn the Heimlich maneuver and CPR in a certified first-aid training course. If you're the only rescuer for someone who's choking, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid. If you're alone and choking , call or your local emergency number right away. Then give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object.
If the object is stuck in your esophagus, you may need to have it removed by your health care professional. Also see your healthcare professional right away for a swallowed object that is:. If a person is choking and cannot talk, cry or laugh forcefully, the American Red Cross recommends this approach to delivering first aid. To perform abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, on yourself, place a fist slightly above your navel. Grasp your fist with the other hand and bend over a hard surface.
Shove your fist inward and upward. If you have food stuck in the esophagus, you can try to drink a carbonated beverage to see if that will help it pass. If a choking person can cough forcefully, let the person keep coughing. Coughing might naturally remove the stuck object.
If a person can't cough, talk, cry or laugh forcefully, give first aid to the person. The American Red Cross recommends the following steps:. Some first-aid sources only teach the abdominal thrust. It's OK not to use back blows if you haven't learned the back-blow technique. Both approaches are acceptable for adults and children older than age 1. If you're the only rescuer, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. If the person is pregnant or if you can't get your arms around the stomach, give chest thrusts:.
