What triggers choking? What is the best way to assist a person who is choking? Which foods are commonly associated with choking?

Answer 1

Sometimes a sip of a beverage or a tiny bit of food "slips down the wrong pipe." The body's first response is to cough, and quite often coughing clears the passage. When someone is truly choking, however, food has slipped into the trachea and completely blocked the air passageways. Thus the person cannot cough-or even breathe or speak. For this reason, to help a person who is choking, first ask "Can you speak?" If the person is coughing, breathing adequately, or able to speak, do not interfere. Do not hit him on the back as the particle may become lodged more firmly in his air passageway. If the person cannot speak or cough, shout for help and perform the Heimlich maneuver. Almost any food can cause choking, although some are cited more often than others: chunks of meat, hot dogs, nuts, whole grapes, raw carrots, marshmallows, hard or sticky candies, gum, popcorn, and peanut butter. These foods are particularly difficult for young children (especially those 4 years of age and younger) to safely chew and swallow.