Choking is a medical emergency that requires immediate action. It occurs when an object becomes lodged in the throat or windpipe, blocking oxygen from reaching the lungs and brain. Common choking hazards include food, toys, and small objects. When someone is choking, it can be a frightening situation. Your instinct may be to provide water to help dislodge the blockage. However, giving water to someone who is choking is dangerous and can make the situation worse.
What causes choking?
Choking occurs when an object blocks the trachea (windpipe). In adults, this is often caused by food such as meat, fish bones, popcorn, nuts, or hard candy. In children, choking hazards include coins, balloons, marbles, buttons, and small toys. Regardless of age, choking cuts off oxygen supply to the lungs and prevents proper breathing. Within minutes, it can lead to unconsciousness or cardiac arrest if not treated.
There are two types of choking:
- Mild (partial) choking: The person can still cough, speak, or breathe, but the airway is partly blocked.
- Severe (complete) choking: The airway is completely blocked, the person is unable to speak, cough, or breathe at all.
A person experiencing mild choking may be able to dislodge the blockage by coughing. However, someone with complete blockage requires immediate help to open their airway and restore breathing.
Why you should not give water to a choking person
Giving water to someone who is choking is not recommended, as it can actually make the situation more dangerous. Here’s why:
- It may cause the object to lodge deeper – Drinking water can cause a blocked object to shift and lodge tighter in the airway. This can worsen the obstruction making it even harder to remove.
- It may cause the person to aspirate – Giving water introduces more fluid into the throat at a time when breathing and swallowing mechanisms are already impaired. This increases the risk of aspiration (fluid entering the lungs).
- It delays more effective treatment – Attempting to give water takes time away from techniques that can actually relieve the obstruction, such as back blows or abdominal thrusts.
Rather than wasting precious seconds giving water, it is essential to call emergency services and begin appropriate first aid immediately in the event of choking.
When should you call emergency services?
If someone shows signs of choking, emergency medical services should be contacted immediately at 911. Warning signs include:
- Coughing, gagging or wheezing after eating or drinking
- Clutching the throat
- Difficulty speaking or breathing
- Inability to cough at all
- Blue tinge to skin, lips or nail beds
- Loss of consciousness
Call 911 before beginning any first aid measures. If you are alone with a choking person, administer a few initial blows to the back or abdominal thrusts before leaving them to call emergency services. A rapid emergency response can be lifesaving when someone’s airway is completely obstructed.
What first aid should you provide?
The recommended first aid steps depend on the person’s age and whether the airway obstruction is mild or severe.
For mild choking in adults and children over 1 year:
- Encourage coughing – Repeated coughing can generate enough air pressure to pop out the object.
- Apply back blows – Give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
For severe choking in adults and children over 1 year:
- Abdominal thrusts – Perform 5 abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver). Make a fist and place it right above the belly button. Grab your fist with your other hand and pull sharply inward and upward.
- Chest thrusts – If abdominal thrusts are ineffective, use chest thrusts. Make a fist and place between breastbone and nipple line. Pull sharply to compress chest and dislodge object.
For choking infants under 1 year old:
- Back blows – Lay the infant face down on your forearm. Give 5 forceful blows to the center of the back using the heel of your hand.
- Chest thrusts – Turn the infant face up and give 5 chest thrusts with 2 fingers in the center of chest, just below nipple line.
After any successful method to clear the airway, re-assess breathing and call 911 if still concerned. Only stop first aid attempts if the object is expelled and breathing is restored.
What should you do after choking is relieved?
Even after dislodging the obstructing object, it is vital to seek emergency medical care, as choking can cause serious complications. After successful treatment of choking, you should:
- Call 911 – Get emergency help on-scene in case breathing problems recur.
- Do not let the person eat or drink – This could dislodge the object further or cause aspiration.
- Check their breathing – Monitor oxygen levels and watch for bluish skin tones.
- Give CPR if needed – If breathing stops, perform cycles of CPR until help arrives.
- Prevent aspiration pneumonia – Seek medical care to check for fluid or irritation in the lungs after choking.
Choking requires emergency room evaluation even if initial first aid is successful. Complications like aspiration pneumonia, vocal cord injury, or respiratory distress can occur after the incident.
How can you prevent choking?
While choking can happen unexpectedly, there are measures you can take to reduce risk:
- Supervise meal times for babies and toddlers.
- Cut food into small pieces for young children.
- Avoid hard, round, or sticky foods for those under age 4.
- Teach children to chew slowly and thoroughly.
- Don’t eat while walking, running, laughing, or lying down.
- Don’t drink through a straw while eating.
- Don’t talk or laugh with your mouth full.
Additionally, keep small objects that could become lodged in airways out of reach from infants and toddlers. Learn choking first aid and CPR skills to be prepared if an emergency arises.
Conclusion
Giving water to a choking person is not recommended, as it can cause further blockage, aspiration, or delay in effective treatment. If someone is choking, immediately call 911 and begin age-appropriate first aid like back blows or abdominal thrusts. Manage any dislodged object with care, monitor breathing, and get emergency medical help to prevent complications. While scary, choking often has a good outcome when handled quickly and correctly.