1. How can you tell if someone is choking on a foreign object?

A common sign of choking is when a previously healthy person suddenly puts their hand to their throat. If the person is unable to give a signal, or you did not witness them initially, look for the following signs that suggest choking:
- Sudden inability to speak.
- Development of an intrusion syndrome: coughing, cyanosis, difficulty breathing, wheezing.
- Screaming (wheezing) when trying to breathe.
- Vomiting, drooling
- Complaining of a sore throat, crying, difficulty swallowing.
- Skin, lips, and nails begin to turn blue or dark
- The skin on the head, face, and neck becomes red, then pale or bluish.
- Loss of consciousness follows.

2. What can I do if I see someone choking on a foreign object?

When someone is choking, stay calm and help them immediately with the following actions. If the patient can cough hard, encourage them to continue coughing. If the person is choking and cannot speak or cry, experts around the world unanimously recommend the "five and five" approach, that is, five back blows and five abdominal thrusts for first aid. The specific procedure is as follows:

Five back blows. Stand to the side and behind the choking person. For a small child, you can kneel behind. Place one arm across the person's chest for support. Bend over so that the upper body is parallel to the ground. Give five consecutive back blows between the person's shoulder blades with the back of your palm. If the child is too small, you can place the child face down on your closed thighs.

Five abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver):

Stand directly behind the patient. Place one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. Wrap your arms around the patient's waist and lean forward slightly. If the patient is a small child, you can kneel behind the child.
Make a fist with one hand and place it slightly above the person's navel.

Grasp the fist with the other hand. Press firmly into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust as if trying to lift the patient. Alternate between 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged.

3. Other special cases to note:

If you are the only rescuer, perform back blows and abdominal thrusts before calling 115 or some other emergency number for help. If there is another person, ask that person to call for help while you perform first aid. Do not delay first aid for any reason!

If the patient is pregnant or obese. The rescuer places his or her hand in the middle of the chest to compress, rather than on the abdomen.

If the person who inhaled the object is unconscious, lay him or her on his or her back. If you can see the object in the mouth, use your fingers to remove it. Be careful not to push it further into the airway. (If the object is still stuck and the person begins to show signs of cardiac arrest, perform CPR immediately if you are able.)

According to some studies by the American Heart Association, if you cannot or do not know how to do back blows, just perform abdominal thrusts. Both approaches are acceptable!

4. What to do when we are the victim?

If you are the victim and no one is around, perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself! You cannot perform back blows on yourself, but don't panic, you can perform abdominal thrusts.

To perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) on yourself, place a fist slightly above your navel. Clench your fist with your other hand and bend over a hard surface (tabletop or chair). Push your fist inward and upward. And don't forget to quickly call 911 or your emergency number immediately while you're doing this.