Back to First Aid

Choking: First aid

Choking happens when an object lodges in the throat or windpipe blocking the flow of air. In adults, a piece of food is usually to blame. Young children often choke on small objects. Choking is life-threatening. It cuts off oxygen to the brain.

Give first aid as quickly as possible if you or someone else is choking. To prepare yourself for these situations, learn the Heimlich maneuver and CPR in a certified first-aid training course.

If you’re the only rescuer, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.

If you’re alone and choking, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then, give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object.

Watch for these signs of choking:

Infant

To clear the airway of a choking infant younger than age 1:

Child and adult

If a choking person can cough forcefully, let the person keep coughing.

Coughing might naturally remove the stuck object.

If a person can’t cough, talk, cry or laugh forcefully, give first aid to the person.

The American Red Cross recommends the following steps:

Some sources only teach the abdominal thrust. It’s OK not to use back blows if you haven’t learned the back-blow technique. Both approaches are acceptable for adults and children older than age 1.

To give abdominal thrusts to someone else:

If you’re the only rescuer, give back blows and abdominal thrusts first. Then call 911 or your local emergency number for help. If another person is there, have that person call for help while you give first aid.

If the person becomes unconscious, start standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions and rescue breaths.

To clear the airway of an unconscious person:

Pregnant person or someone you can’t get your arms around

If the person is pregnant or if you can’t get your arms around the stomach, give chest thrusts:

Yourself

If you’re alone and choking:

Call 911 or your local emergency number right away. Then, give yourself abdominal thrusts, also called the Heimlich maneuver, to remove the stuck object.

© 1998-2024 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.

We Make Health Possible

As East Central Indiana’s population grows, we’re putting health care where people need it most. Besides Hancock Regional Hospital, ranked as one of the nation’s safest by the Lown Hospital Index, our network includes more than 30 other locations near your home or work.

Learn More about Hancock