CHOKING happens when your airways suddenly get blocked either fully or partly – leaving you unable to breathe.
It can be a distressing experience – especially if you're on your own.
Mum and CEO of the Australian parenting organisation Tiny Hearts Education, Nikki Jurcutz explained exactly what you need to do if you're choking and you're on your own.
She said: "My mum choked this week and she was alone. She didn’t know what do so I wanted to create this.
"Every person should know this, you’ve got about four minutes only before you’ll go unconscious."
She said the first thing you should do, is call the emergency services.
In the UK you need to call 999 which will put you through to an emergency services worker who will ask you what department you need to go through – fire service, ambulance or police.
But if you can't speak because you're choking, there is a solution.
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If you don't reply to their first question, then they will ask you to cough or to tap the handset, then you will also be given the option to press 55.
That tells the operator on the other end of the phone that you are unable to speak.
They will try and work out where you are and dispatch an ambulance to your location.
It's important that if you are choking then you tap the handset or cough as if you don't respond then the person on the other end of the phone could think it was an accident you called and therefore hang up.
Once you have called the emergency services, Nikki said you need to try and cough to clear the blockage.
She explained: "Try to cough that obstruction up."
She said that if you are unable to cough then you need to make a fist and place it just above your belly button, placing the other hand on top.
How to carry out a back blow on an adult or child over 1 year old
If you need to carry out a back blow for someone who is choking then the NHS advises the below.
- Stand behind them and slightly to one side. Support their chest with 1 hand. Lean them forward so the object blocking their airway will come out of their mouth, rather than moving further down.
- Give up to 5 sharp blows between their shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. The heel is between the palm of your hand and your wrist.
- Check if the blockage has cleared.
- If not, give up to 5 abdominal thrusts.
Source: NHS England
"Find something that is at a height where you can lean over it, place the hands there and then forcefully push down and over and over until that obstruction is clear."
She added that if you're struggling you can also try and run outside to get someone's attention.
The NHS says that if someone is mildly choking then they will usually be able to clear the blockage themselves.
You should encourage them to keep coughing in order to remove the blockage.
But if coughing doesn't work you can then start back blows.
The NHS said: "Where choking is severe, the person won't be able to speak, cry, cough or breathe.
"Without help, they'll eventually become unconscious."
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