Food enters the lungs. Sensation of food entering the airways

Every adult needs to know the basics of first aid for victims in various emergency situations. Such an educational subject as taught in schools, starting from elementary grades. And even in kindergartens, preschoolers get acquainted with the basic rules of first aid. Nevertheless, it will not be superfluous for anyone to refresh knowledge. In our article, we will consider a situation in which a foreign body is in the airways. What to do in this case? We will talk about the symptoms of this condition, as well as the first aid technique in this emergency.

How can a foreign body enter the respiratory tract?

According to statistics, cases are more often recorded when a foreign body is found in a child. Symptoms of this condition can be different, it all depends on how much the object blocked the air flow. But in any case, such a situation is extremely dangerous for the life and health of both a child and an adult.

Therefore, it is very important not to leave children under three years of age without adult supervision - kids often taste some kind of "find", as they say. In addition, cutting teeth also contribute to the fact that children pull the first objects that come across into their mouths.

In addition, babies often twist, laugh, talk while eating, which can also lead to aspiration of an unchewed piece of food. And the not fully developed system of reflex processes in children younger than those years only contributes to the worsening of the situation, significantly increasing the risk of suffocation.

But doctors regularly encounter situations when foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract of an adult. Conditions that increase the risk of such situations are as follows:

alcohol intoxication;
communication, laughter during meals;
low-quality prostheses;
unprofessional provision of dental services (in medicine, there are known cases of suffocation by an extracted tooth, a removed crown, broken instruments).

What is the danger?

The ingress of foreign bodies into the upper respiratory tract of an adult or a child is an emergency requiring an ambulance. Although there are examples in medical practice when a patient sought help from doctors with complaints of complicated breathing only a few months after the foreign object entered the body. But still, in most cases, the time to help and save a person is measured in seconds.

What happens in the body if there is a foreign body in the airways? Unfortunately, the medical statistics are disappointing. So, in almost 70% of all such cases, a foreign object reaches the bronchi, less often (about 20%) it is fixed in the trachea and only 10% remain in the larynx (we will run ahead and say that it is in the latter case that the removal of the foreign body from the respiratory ways, although there are exceptions to this rule).

The reflex mechanism of a person works in such a situation as follows: as soon as an object passes through the glottis, a muscle spasm occurs. Thus, even with a strong cough, it is extremely difficult for a person to remove a foreign body. Such a protective mechanism further complicates the situation and contributes to the development of suffocation.

Why do some cases do not pose a high danger to human life and health, while others are, as they are called in medicine, emergency? It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously - a combination of different circumstances matters here. Including these:

The most dangerous items

What is the danger of a foreign body entering the respiratory tract? The structure of the foreign object plays a decisive role. So, the larger it is, the higher the probability of blocking the space for air flow. But even small items can cause serious problems. For example, even pieces of meat, sausage or boiled potatoes can provoke an attack of suffocation if they get into the spasmodic muscles of the vocal cords.

Uneven or sharp objects can not only “catch” on the walls of the trachea, but also injure it, which will lead to even greater complications.

Harmless at first glance, nuts are dangerous because, once they get into the respiratory tract, they can, thanks to the air flow, mix from one zone to another, causing unexpected attacks of suffocation (the person did not eat anything and suddenly began to suffocate, and this situation can be repeated repeatedly up to removal of a foreign body from the respiratory tract).

But just the objects that are usually considered the most dangerous - metal, plastic or glass (often children swallow toys with exactly these characteristics, for example, rattle balls, small parts of the designer), - of all the listed possible foreign bodies, they are the least likely to cause suffocation.

It should be noted that organic plant foreign objects in the respiratory tract are dangerous not only by the possibility of blocking the access of oxygen, but also by other complications:

they tend to break into pieces, which can lead to numerous repeated attacks of suffocation;
such bodies, as a result of being in "greenhouse" conditions inside the body, can swell, increasing in size, thus gradually worsening the human condition;
plant components as a result of organic processes lead to the formation of inflammation at the site of fixation.

Thus, if there is a foreign body in the airways, then, no matter how deep it has advanced, it should be removed as soon as possible, since the consequences can be felt at any time.

The danger of this situation lies in its sudden onset and rapid onset of suffocation. Here the effect of surprise is triggered - both the choking person and those around them can simply get confused and start to panic. Unfortunately, such a reaction to an emergency situation can lead to a tragic outcome. Therefore, it is important not only to remember the technique of providing medical care in such cases, but also to be psychologically ready to provide this very help at the right time.

It is especially important to respond correctly when a foreign body is stuck in the airways of a child. Symptoms can be different, so it is important to recognize them in a timely manner and begin to help the baby, because here the time goes by seconds.

In order to reduce the likelihood of such situations occurring, preventive measures should be followed, which are described in more detail in the corresponding section of the article.

To help a person who is experiencing suffocation due to the penetration of a foreign object, it is extremely important to quickly "recognize" the characteristic signs of such a condition. What are the symptoms of a foreign body in the airways? Read about it below.

Symptoms that indicate the ingress of a foreign body into the respiratory tract

How to understand that a person suffers from the fact that he has a foreign body in his airways? Signs of such a state are different and depend on the structure, size of the object, as well as the place where it was fixed.

So, a large object that completely blocks the access of oxygen causes a sharp cough, a person instinctively clutches his throat with his hands, after a few seconds, loss of consciousness, reddening of the face, and then blueness of the skin are possible.

If the foreign body is fixed in the airways in such a way that there is a small gap for gas exchange, then the characteristic signs of this condition are the following:

convulsive cough, often accompanied by vomiting or hemoptysis;
violation of the rhythm of inhalation-exhalation;
increased salivation;
the appearance of tearing;
short-term episodic attacks of respiratory arrest.

This state can last up to half an hour - it is during this time that the reflex protective functions of the body are depleted.

If small smooth objects get into the respiratory tract of a person, there may be a complete absence of any signs of such a condition for a certain period of time (depending on where the object was fixed, an organic or inorganic foreign body). But, unfortunately, if no measures are taken to remove a foreign object from the human body, it will not “resolve” itself, but will cause serious complications. After a certain time, the victim will have various breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, hoarseness in the voice, and others. When listening with a stethoscope, noises will be heard in the area of fixation of a foreign body.

Can you help yourself?

Is it possible to give yourself first aid for a foreign body in the respiratory tract? It's possible. But here it is important to stock up on self-control and not to panic. Since there is very little time, you first need to calm down and not take sharp breaths (this will only aggravate the situation, because the air flow will simply move the object deeper).

The algorithm of actions in such an emergency is as follows:

Slowly, slowly inhale, filling the chest with air as much as possible. Then exhale as sharply as possible, thus trying to push out the object that has fallen into the throat.
Another way to help yourself remove a foreign body from the respiratory tract is to press your upper abdomen against the countertop or back of the sofa during a sharp exhalation.

Technique for first aid in case of foreign body in the respiratory tract

Are foreign bodies found in the airways? First aid in such a situation should be given as follows:

Call the medical team immediately.
Prior to the arrival of doctors, first aid should be provided, according to the technique described below.

There are two ways to remove a foreign body:

1. Bend the victim over the back of the chair, chair or thigh of the person who is providing assistance. Then, with an open palm, sharply hit between the shoulder blades 4-5 times. If the victim has lost consciousness, then he should be laid on his side and struck on the back. This method is called the Mofenson method in the medical literature.

2. Another way is as follows: you need to stand behind the choking person, clasp him with your hands under the ribs and make sharp squeezes in the direction from bottom to top. This so-called

If the above methods did not bring results, and the victim's condition worsens, you can also resort to such a technique for providing medical care: lay the patient on the floor, placing a roller under the neck so that the head hangs down. It is required to prepare a napkin, a piece of cloth or something similar. Then you need to open the mouth of the victim. Using the material, it is necessary to grab the person's tongue and pull it towards you and down - perhaps in this way the foreign body will become noticeable and can be pulled out with your fingers. However, it is not recommended for a non-professional to perform such actions, since the technique requires special skills. And with the wrong assistance, you can harm the victim even more.

Signs of foreign body aspiration in children

Adults can accurately understand and characterize their condition in the event of such a situation. But children sometimes even forget that they accidentally swallowed a wheel from a toy car or a designer part. If there is aspiration of a large object that blocked the access of air, then the symptoms will be the same as described above: convulsive cough, vomiting, reddening of the face, and then cyanosis of the skin.

But if the foreign body has penetrated deeply, there may be no signs of such a condition at all. In order to determine the presence of a foreign object in the respiratory tract of the crumbs, you need to ask him to talk to an adult. If the pronunciation of words is difficult for the baby, whistling or “clapping” sounds are heard, the timbre or strength of the voice has changed in the child - the baby needs urgent medical care.

Foreign bodies of the respiratory tract in children: first aid

The first aid technique for children is different from the "adult version". This is due to the anatomical features of the structure of a growing organism. How to help the baby if there is a suspicion of such a pathology as foreign bodies of the upper respiratory tract? First aid in such a situation is as follows:

If the child is less than a year old, then it must be laid on the forearm so that the adult can hold the crumbs chin with his fingers. The baby's head should hang down. If the child is older than the specified age, he is placed on his knee.
Then you need to knock 4-5 times with open palms between the baby's shoulder blades. The younger the child, the weaker the blows should be.
If this technique does not work, you need to lay the baby on his back and produce the so-called subdiaphragmatic thrusts. In this case, you need to put two fingers (if the child is younger than a year) or a fist (for children older than a year) on the stomach just above the navel and perform sharp pressure movements inwards and upwards.
In the absence of improvement in the condition of a small patient, one should begin to carry out (artificial respiration) before the arrival of the ambulance.

Surgical methods for removing a foreign body from the human respiratory tract

What to do if the removal of a foreign body by the methods described above did not work? Then, most likely, you will need surgery. In order to determine what type of operation is needed in a particular case, specialists conduct studies such as diagnostic laryngoscopy and fluoroscopy. Depending on the results, the doctor may prescribe the following manipulations:

Laryngoscopy. Using this procedure, not only determine the presence of a foreign body in the larynx, trachea and vocal cords, but also remove it.
Upper tracheobronchoscopy using forceps. This procedure involves the introduction of an endoscope through the oral cavity, through which a special instrument is delivered that can remove a foreign body.
A tracheotomy is the surgical opening of an opening in the trachea.

All the described methods are dangerous for the development of complications both during their implementation and in the postoperative period.

Preventive measures

The diagnosis of "foreign bodies of the upper respiratory tract" is extremely dangerous and requires urgent medical care. In order to reduce the likelihood of such an emergency situation, simple recommendations should be followed:

While eating, you should not talk, spin, watch TV. Children should also be taught such table manners.
Do not abuse alcohol.
Timely seek medical help in the presence of diseases of the oral cavity (including dental).
Keep potentially hazardous items out of the reach of children.

This resource provides guidance on how foreign bodies in the airways can be removed. First aid for both an adult and a child should be provided as soon as possible, in some situations there is simply no time to wait for the arrival of doctors. Therefore, the information presented in this article may be important and necessary for everyone.

Foreign bodies of the trachea, bronchi and larynx can lead to the most unpleasant consequences, up to death. You need to know the main symptoms of foreign objects entering the respiratory tract in order to help the victim in time. Sometimes a foreign body in the bronchi or trachea can be there for quite a long time if it does not block the lumen and does not lead to suffocation, but this does not mean that it can not be removed.

How do foreign objects enter the respiratory tract?

Most often this happens when you inhale. Such a nuisance happens to both children and adults who have the habit of holding small objects in their mouths. Sometimes a piece of food or a tablet can get stuck in the windpipe.

Inhalation of foreign objects is possible with a strong breath, for example, with fear, laughter, crying, yawning. In children, small parts of toys, peas, sweets, buttons, beads and many other small items get into the bronchi and trachea. Adults often suffer from inhalation of cloves, pins that they hold in their mouths while working.

What are dangerous foreign objects in the respiratory tract:

obstruction of the lumen of the trachea or bronchus
damage that can be caused by an object with sharp edges or edges
inflammation that develops with prolonged traumatic effects on the walls of the respiratory tract.

Both inorganic and organic objects are equally dangerous. Organics decompose, releasing harmful decay products, in addition, organic objects absorb moisture and swell, which can lead to respiratory arrest.

Symptoms of foreign bodies in the airways

Symptoms of foreign bodies entering the bronchi or trachea can be different, depending on the size of the object and its physical properties. Large bodies can cause rapidly developing asphyxia, in which the victim begins to turn blue, gasp for air and quickly lose consciousness.

Small things may not cause obvious difficulty in breathing for a long time. In children, such objects can move freely through the trachea, from time to time causing sudden attacks of suffocation. This happens when the object takes an uncomfortable position, causing a sharp muscle spasm. The kid at the same time loses consciousness, turns blue, stops breathing and falls. With loss of consciousness, the spasm stops, the stuck object is released, breathing is restored. The child comes to his senses and can continue to play as if nothing had happened. Parents often mistake such attacks for epilepsy.

One of the most characteristic signs of a foreign object getting into the trachea or bronchi becomes a strong coughaccompanied by chest pain.

With a long stay of a foreign object in the bronchi or trachea, inflammation develops, causing the formation of a significant amount of sputum, sometimes purulent or mixed with blood. Inflammation is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and impaired respiratory function.

Diagnosis and treatment

For diagnosis, listening, radiography, bronchoscopy and tracheoscopy are used. During bronchoscopy, the foreign object is removed, if possible. In some cases, this cannot be done due to the developed edema of nearby tissues, and then a surgical operation has to be performed.

Foreign bodies of the trachea and bronchi can cause complications such as bronchitis, lung abscess, pneumonia and other diseases.

Anyone can choke on food or water. That is why you should know the main principles of helping the victim. You can often hear the phrase: "Water got into the wrong throat." What does this mean, and if this happened, how to deal with it?

Causes and symptoms

Why is this possible? The fact is that people are careless and sometimes irresponsible about the advice of experts: drink and eat slowly, do not talk at this time, and chew food thoroughly. Such neglect of simple rules can cost health, and in some cases lead to a tragic outcome: food gets into the wrong place and moves down another path intended for air.

Older people who, due to their anatomical capabilities (lack of teeth or improperly selected dentures), cannot chew food well.
Children under 6 years old.
Patients with injuries or anatomical pathologies that may affect the swallowing process (for example, a cleft lip).

A person who chokes on saliva or a sip of water will certainly begin to cough. This is a great way to free the airways from the fluid that has got there. Most often, these people do not need outside help. But if a solid foreign body (a seed, seeds from an apple or a berry, bread crumbs) gets into the wrong throat, breathing is blocked partially or completely, the person begins to suffocate. The face changes color to pale or, conversely, burgundy.

It is important that the choking person does not panic, because in this case, attempts to inhale air become more frequent, which can lead to pushing an unnecessary object deeper: into the trachea or lungs. Also, do not "help" the patient by random tapping on the back, especially if the person is in an upright position, because in this case, what is stuck in the throat can move lower.

What to do?

The hardest thing to deal with the problem is when there is no one near the victim. To save his life, he will have to help himself get rid of a foreign body in the larynx. Food that gets into the windpipe does not go anywhere on its own. She needs to be coughed up. Coughing can be provoked by leaning forward and down, while slowly inhaling and expelling the air sharply from the lungs. The process of expectoration is possible only when the larynx is not completely blocked.

If the choking person does not cope on his own, the person suffocates, it is imperative to call an ambulance. In the meantime, it is necessary to provide first medical aid: tilt the victim forward and lightly tap between the shoulder blades several times (5 times, as a rule, is enough). Water or leftover food should come out of the throat. If the method did not bring results, you need to use the Heimlich method:

Stand behind the patient.
Embrace him with your arms so that your hands converge in the area between the chest and the navel.
Clench your fist with your other hand.
Press your fist at the indicated point, while clenching your elbows and raising your fist up to your chest. Carry out the manipulation until the patient can breathe on his own.

Doctors advise to combine tapping on the back in the interscapular region and the Heimlich method, performing them in turn. Please note that in the case of pregnant women, this method is also acceptable, but you need to press not on the stomach, but at the base of the chest (to avoid damage to the fetus). It is also worth acting to save an overweight person.

A food product that has stopped in the esophagus can not only deliver a feeling of discomfort. It may well damage the walls of this section of the gastrointestinal tract. Such consequences cannot be treated on their own, it is recommended to consult a doctor without fail.

Loss of consciousness during asphyxia due to the obstruction of air into the lungs due to the blocked larynx with food particles is not uncommon. It is recommended to put the patient on his back (the head of the victim should not turn). Boldly sit down from above, then placing a fist between the navel and infrabreast area, press several times, performing the same movements as if you were standing behind a person and applying the Heimlich method.

How to help a child?

If something gets into the throat of a small child, in no case should you try to get the object with your fingers: a crumb from the larynx can get into the respiratory tract. In addition, the pharynx and mucous tissues in children are too delicate, they can be easily damaged - this will lead to serious complications and long-term rehabilitation. The first thing to do is to call an ambulance team.

When you are waiting for the doctors, you cannot sit back. Make sure that the child's nose is free of mucus. The baby choked - turn it over on its tummy, lift it by the legs so that the head is lower than the body, and lightly tap on the back. But use this method only if you have the skill to save a person in a similar situation. If you are not confident in your abilities, it’s better not to take risks: a careless blow with a little more force than required can not only block your breath even more, but also lead to rupture of the lungs.

Children over 10 years of age can release their breath using the Heimlich method.

On the Internet, on forums, you can also find information that if a child chokes on water or milk, raise his hands up.

To avoid getting food or drink into the trachea or lungs, you must always remember the saying "When I eat, I am deaf and dumb!". As practice shows, food or water gets into the wrong throat for an adult at the moment when he wants to express his opinion.

The topic of this article does not belong to the category of seasonal. But it is very relevant for anyone who has small children. However, in adults, such troubles also happen. I mean the ingress of a foreign body into the respiratory tract.

Let's talk briefly about adults first. How can a foreign body get into the airways of an adult? After all, he does not drag everything into his mouth, like children. Of course it doesn't drag. But some adults have a habit of holding some small objects in their teeth while working. Remember, didn’t you have a case that you held pins or small cloves, screws in your mouth. By the way, I often do this myself. Foreign bodies, such as dentures, can enter the respiratory tract of an adult during sleep or in a situation when a person is unconscious. And of course, do not forget that you can simply choke on food.

According to statistics, in 95-98% of cases, foreign bodies of the respiratory tract occur in children aged 1.5 to 3 years.

Children are little explorers. Everything is included in their field of study. And they want not only to see, hear and touch the environment, but to taste everything that their hands can reach. And these pens do not always reach only for toys. Often these are completely inappropriate items, for example, beads, buttons, beans or peas, nuts, and so on. Children try to apply small objects to everything and most often push them into the most inappropriate places. And such unsuitable places include the ears, nose and mouth. Some small object that the child has put in his mouth “jumps” into the larynx during a deep breath. The reason for such a breath can be fright, crying, screaming.

In addition, a child of this age is just learning to properly chew and swallow solid food. And, of course, he does not succeed immediately. Therefore, it is at this age that the danger of getting pieces of solid food into the respiratory tract is maximum.

It is also bad that the child cannot always tell what exactly happened to him. And sometimes foreign bodies in the airways are detected too late.

Now for some anatomy.

The structure of the respiratory tract in humans is as follows: when inhaling, air enters the nasal passages, then into the nasopharynx and oropharynx (here the respiratory system crosses with the digestive system). Then - the larynx. In the larynx, air passes through the vocal cords and then into the trachea. Here is the first feature: in the subglottic space in a child under 3-5 years old, lymphoid tissue is strongly expressed, which has a tendency to rapid swelling. This is what leads to the development of false croup in viral infections. And when foreign bodies get into this area, edema of the subglottic space also develops very quickly, narrowing the airways. At the level of 4-5 thoracic vertebrae, the trachea is divided into two main bronchi - the right and left, through which air goes to the right and left lungs, respectively. Here is the second feature: the right main bronchus is, as it were, a continuation of the trachea, departing to the side at an angle of only 25-30 degrees, while the left departs at an angle of 45-60 degrees. That is why most often foreign bodies of the respiratory tract fall into the generations of the right main bronchus. The right main bronchus is divided into three bronchi: upper, middle and lower lobe bronchus. The left main bronchus is divided into two bronchi: upper and lower lobe. Most often, foreign bodies are in the right lower lobe bronchus.

According to the mechanism of obstruction (opposition to normal operation) of the airways, foreign bodies differ in:

* non-obturating lumen. Air passes freely past the foreign body during inhalation and exhalation. * completely obturating lumen. Air does not pass at all. * obturating the lumen as a "valve". On inhalation, air passes by the foreign body into the lung, and on exhalation, the foreign body blocks the lumen, thereby preventing the exit of air from the lung.

Also, foreign bodies differ in the method of fixation.

A fixed foreign body sits firmly in the lumen of the bronchus and practically does not move during breathing.

A balloting foreign body is not fixed in the lumen and, when breathing, can move from one section of the respiratory system to another. Its movement can be heard with a phonendoscope in the form of "clapping" when breathing. Sometimes it can be heard even from a distance. In addition, a running foreign body is also dangerous because when it hits the vocal cords from below, persistent laryngospasm occurs, which in itself leads to an almost complete closure of the laryngeal lumen.

Foreign bodies can enter any part of the respiratory tract. But in terms of localization, the most dangerous place is the larynx and trachea. Foreign bodies in this area can completely block the access of air. If you do not provide immediate assistance, then death occurs in 1-2 minutes.

For young children, the most dangerous situation is when a foreign body gets stuck between the folds of the glottis. In this case, the child cannot make a single sound. This is explained by the fact that a spasm of the glottis occurs, which can lead to respiratory arrest and suffocation. The child develops cyanosis (blue) of the mucous membranes and skin of the face.

The fact that an adult or a child is choking becomes clear by a sudden cough. At the same time, the person’s face turns red, tears appear in the eyes. And those around him readily knock on the back with a fist. More often, of course, the crumb that got "in the wrong throat" is removed with a cough. But if it's not a crumb, but, let's say, a piece of sausage, an apple, or a bone from a fruit? Then with each blow of the fist on the back, this piece will move further and further into the respiratory tract. Normal breathing in this case will be replaced by stridor, that is, breathing with a characteristic wheeze on inspiration and with the participation of the muscles of the face, neck and chest. But not only does the piece block the access of air. It also irritates the mucous membrane of the larynx or trachea, and this, in turn, leads to their swelling and abundant secretion and accumulation of mucus. If a foreign body also has sharp edges, such as a stone from a plum, then it injures the mucous membrane and blood is added to the mucus. The condition of the victim is getting worse right before our eyes. The face, red at first, turns blue, the veins swell on the neck, a sip is heard on inhalation and the subclavian and supraclavicular fossae are seen to sink. The coughing movements become less and less frequent, and the movements become more and more sluggish. And very quickly a person loses consciousness. This condition is called blue asphyxia.

If the victim is not quickly assisted, then blue asphyxia in a few minutes will pass into the stage of pale asphyxia. The skin will become pale with a grayish tint, the reaction of the pupils to light and the pulse on the carotid artery will disappear. In other words, clinical death will occur.

How to provide first aid in such a situation?

First, you can not waste time examining the oral cavity. Secondly, do not try to get a foreign body with your fingers or tweezers. If this is a piece of food, sausage or an apple, for example, then under the influence of saliva it will soften so much that when you try to get it, it will simply fall apart into smaller pieces. And one or more of these small pieces, when inhaled, will again fall into the respiratory tract.

But, no matter what the victim chokes on, the first thing to do is turn him over on his stomach and throw him over the back of a chair, chair, if he is an adult, or over his own thigh, if he is a child. Then you need to hit him several times with an open palm on the back between the shoulder blades. It is impossible to strike with a fist or with the edge of the palm.

If a small child chokes on a ball or pea, you need to quickly turn him upside down and tap on his back several times at the level of the shoulder blades with an open palm. In this case, the "Pinocchio effect" will work. It will look the same as in the fairy tale about Pinocchio, when money was shaken out of him. If, after several blows with the palm of the hand, the foreign body does not fall to the floor, then another method should be used.

But if a child chokes on a coin-shaped object, for example, a button, then another method should be used, since the one described above will not justify itself in this case, since the “piggy bank effect” is triggered. If you had a piggy bank as a child, remember how you tried to shake coins out of it. There is enough noise and ringing, but the coins don’t want to fall out of the piggy bank, because they can’t stand on their own edge and roll flat on themselves. In the same way, a flat and coin-shaped foreign body blocks the airways. We must force him to change position. To do this, use the method of concussion of the chest. As a result of the concussion, the foreign body will either turn around its axis and open the passage for air, or move down the trachea and end up in one of the bronchi. This will give the victim the opportunity to breathe at least one lung.

There are several ways to concussion chest. The most common and effective of them is short, frequent blows with an open palm on the back in the interscapular region.

There is another way, which in Russia is called the "method of the American police." I must say right away that I do not know why it is called that. In America, this technique is called the Heimlich method. This method has two versions.

First option

It is necessary to stand behind the choking person, take him by the shoulders and move him away from himself on outstretched arms. Then, sharply with force, hit him with his back against his own chest. Such a blow can be repeated several times. This option has one drawback. The chest, on which the victim must be hit, should be flat, masculine.

Second option

When using this option, you must also stand behind the victim. But in this case, it is necessary to clasp it with your hands so that the hands folded into the lock are below the xiphoid process of the victim. Then, with a sharp movement, it is necessary to strongly press on the diaphragm and at the same time hit the victim on his chest.

Both of these methods can be used if the victim is conscious. But at the same time, one must be prepared for the fact that the victim will develop a state of clinical death. Therefore, immediately after the impact, you can not unclench your hands, so that in the event of a cardiac arrest, do not let the victim fall.

The same method in relation to young children should be performed as follows:

1. Put the baby on a hard surface on his back, tilt his head back, raise his chin; 2. Place two fingers of one hand on the child's upper abdomen, between the xiphoid process and the navel, and quickly push inward and upward. The movement must be strong enough to remove the foreign object; 3. If the first time is not enough, then take up to four times.

Help for older children

If blows to the back do not help, then put the child on your lap, placing one of your hands on his stomach. Squeeze this hand into a fist, resting with the inner side where the thumb is located in the middle of his abdomen, and with the other hand hold the child behind his back. Quickly press your fist on your stomach a little up and as deep as possible. The movement must be strong to push out the stuck object. Repeat pressing up to four times.

If the choking person has fallen into a coma, you must immediately turn him over on his right side and hit his back several times with his palm. But, unfortunately, as a rule, these actions do not bring success.

See you next time!

What to do if you choke, how to properly help the victim, and how to help yourself on your own?

Foreign body in the airways: how to recognize

How to recognize if a person has a foreign body stuck in the airways? Here are a few main signs:

. The victim has a cough, lacrimation and redness of the face.
Complicated breathing. Sometimes there is almost no breathing, cyanosis may appear around the lips.
. This is the final stage in which the victim stops breathing. After some time, cardiac arrest is possible, followed by clinical death. If the person loses consciousness, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed immediately.

First aid for a foreign body in the respiratory tract

The first thing to understand is to determine whether a person is breathing or not. If the victim is breathing at least somehow, then he should be told to cough harder. Often these words (and the corresponding actions of the victim) are enough for a small foreign body to come out of the respiratory tract on its own. If within 30 seconds a person could not breathe, then it should be applied. What does it consist of?

You should stand behind the victim.
Grab the victim's torso with both hands. Cover the fist of your right hand with the palm of your left hand. Now with the knuckle of the thumb of the right hand, make five strong pressures on the upper abdomen. The direction should be up and towards you. If the foreign body is removed, then the victim will recover breathing.

The Heimlich method is carried out until the foreign body leaves the respiratory tract. If during these events the victim lost consciousness, then the Heimlich method should be stopped, and instead, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be started.

To understand what happens when you choke, you must first understand how the back of your throat works. Everything you eat and the air you breathe passes through your throat to enter your body.

Food and liquid passes through the larynx into the esophagus, then into the stomach. The air goes down into another branch - the trachea or windpipe, and from there it enters the lungs. Both of these paths start at the back of the throat.

And if both holes are open, how does food get into one and air into the other? Fortunately for us, our body keeps everything under control. Next to the windpipe is the epiglottis, which comes into action every time you swallow. It closes the "little door" that prevents food from entering the respiratory tract, and directs it through the esophagus to the stomach.

But if you laugh or talk while eating, the epiglottis does not have time to close in time. Food particles can slide down and enter the windpipe. If the particles are small, your body will easily force them out of the wrong place, forcing you.

Heimlich method in children

If a foreign body is lodged in the airway of a child under 1 year of age, the rescuer should sit down, lay the child face down on the left forearm. The lower jaw of the baby should be held with fingers folded into a claw. Then, with the base of the palm, five blows of medium strength should be applied with the base of the palm to the area between the shoulder blades.

At the second stage of helping the child in case of foreign bodies, turn the child face up on the right forearm. Then you should apply five jerky movements along the sternum to a point that is located 1 finger below the inter-nipple line. Be careful not to push too hard to avoid damaging the baby's ribs.

When Food Gets Down the Wrong Throat

Everyone has had to deal with this problem. You take a sip and realize that the food went down the wrong throat. Then a cough begins, sometimes panic, but, as a rule, everything stops within a few seconds. This is because coughing is the body's natural defense against foreign bodies entering the trachea. Thanks to coughing, our body manages to get rid of “lost” pieces of food or other foreign particles that have accidentally entered the trachea.

But when the amount of food or its size is significant, suffocation can occur because the food or other object completely blocks the airways and air cannot pass through them into the lungs. In this case, a person can no longer get rid of a foreign body with a cough, stops breathing, talking, or even making some sounds. Usually, once in such a situation, the victim grabs his throat and / or begins to wave his arms. If the windpipe remains blocked for a long time, the person's face changes color from bright red to blue.

Our body needs oxygen to maintain life processes. When oxygen does not enter the lungs and brain for some time, a person may lose consciousness, and due to a prolonged lack of oxygen, irreversible changes occur in the brain, as a result of which a person may die.

What to do if someone is choking?

Respiratory arrest is a life-threatening condition. If you are trained in the Heimlich method, help immediately. If there is someone present who has the skill, give him the opportunity to help the victim. If the reception is performed incorrectly, you can harm the person and cause him pain. If the victim has stopped breathing and lost consciousness, the Heimlich maneuver should be performed simultaneously with (CPR).

Simple Precautions

Be especially careful when eating certain foods that are easy to choke on. These are: nuts, grapes, raw carrots, popcorn, and hard or gummy candies.
Try to eat while sitting, bite off food in small pieces, chew slowly. Don't try to speak with your mouth full. Remember, it's not even about good manners, it's about preventing choking.
Watch out for small children. Babies love to put things in their mouths and taste things. Try to protect the child and make sure that small objects are out of reach for your baby.
Learn the Heimlich maneuver. You can learn about it in first aid classes. For any person it will not be superfluous to own this skill. Who knows? Perhaps it is you who will have to become a savior when one of your relatives or friends chokes!