Imagine you’re enjoying a delicious meal with a loved one, having a pleasant conversation, when suddenly the food gets stuck in their throat. What should be your immediate response?
If food gets stuck in the throat, check if the person is having trouble breathing. In mild cases, drinking water might help dislodge the food. However, if there are severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, medical help may be required.
When it feels like something hasn’t fully passed into the stomach, it’s usually because the food gets stuck in the esophagus. In this case, breathing isn’t affected because the food has already passed the windpipe.
The symptoms of food being stuck in the esophagus are immediate, often accompanied by severe chest pain and excessive salivation. You can usually relieve this with water, soft drinks, or butter.
If the person is experiencing pain and difficulty breathing, follow these steps immediately:
- Cough forcefully.
- Lean forward and give strong back blows (around 5 times).
These actions may help dislodge the food. If this doesn’t work, perform an abdominal thrust. In this, a person stands behind the affected person, places hands between the chest and stomach, and applies repeated pressure to help expel the food.
If these steps don’t work, call 911 or get to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible.
