Each year, thousands of people accidentally inhale food while swallowing and die from an airway obstruction. The Heimlich Maneuver, or abdominal thrust, is designed to force the air out of the lungs and expel the food out from the throat and has been used many times to save lives. But what if you are choking and all alone? What do you do then?
Many advise to perform an abdominal thrust on yourself by thumping your diaphragm with your fist. Others advise to straddle a chair. But firefighter and medic Jeff Rehman has a different suggestion. He explains that the best way to dislodge a foreign object from your throat is to move a big amount of air in a short period of time and demonstrates what he recommends to do in the video below.
First you get down onto your knees and get into a push-up position. Then thrust your arms up (in a northward direction), extending them in front of you. Next, fall to the ground.
This action will push the air from your lungs when you fall on the floor and hopefully dislodge any object upwards and out of your throat.
Rehman points out this maneuver is not something a pregnant woman should attempt. He also advises women who have large breasts to do the following: “Take a couch pillow, or any comparable solid object – and throw it on the floor in the area of where your ribs meet. Slam yourself onto that pillow/object as hard as you can.”
Rehman adds that nothing is ever 100% effective, but at least knowing this maneuver could help save your life.
Please share this safety tip with your family and friends!
If you thought this was useful information, learn how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on pets.
Disclaimer: The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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