DIY SOS
First aider reveals step-by-step guide on what to do if you’re choking but ALONE
CHOKING while you’re alone can seem like a nightmare — but there are steps that you can follow, first aiders have revealed.
Everyone needs to know what to do if they’re at home on their own eating and their food goes down the wrong way, professionals at Tiny Heart Education said.
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They advise you first ring emergency services, by dialling 999 in Britain.
Once you have done that, you should try clearing the blockage by coughing hard.
If that doesn’t work, it’s time to perform choking first aid on yourself.
In a video on TikTok, the Australian paramedics showed how you can help force out any trapped food from your breathing pipe.
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Tiny Hearts founder Nikki Jurcutz said: “If you’re choking and you’re alone, what do you do?
“This exact thing happened to my mum last week, so I’m going to share with you exactly what you need to do if you are choking and you are alone.
“The first thing you are going to do is dial [999].
“The next thing is you’re going to try and cough — cough that obstruction up.
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“If you’re unable to cough, this is what you need to do and this is what will save your life.
“You will only have a couple of minutes and you must do this immediately.
“Make a fist and place it just above your belly button and place your other hand on top.
“Find something that is a height that you can lean over it and place the hands there and then forcefully push down over and over until that obstruction is clear.”
Around 276 Brits died because of choking in 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The NHS recommends you encourage someone that is choking to try and cough if it is only a mild blockage.
If the choking is severe, you should give them five sharp blows behind their shoulder blades with the heel of your hand and perform five abdominal thrusts if not.
These involve standing behind the person choking, placing your arms around their waist, clenching your fist above their belly button and placing the other hand over that.
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You should then pull sharply inwards.
The health service says you should ring 999 and ask for an ambulance if this does not clear the blockage.
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