Avoid suffocation, how can we help people in distress? A guide of advice and actions to avoid for these cases.
Imagine yourself in a situation where a friend or family member is having difficulty breathing and appears to be in danger of suffocation. In such a critical moment, natural instinct could lead us to make fatal mistakes. Precisely for this reason it is essential to know what to do and, above all, what NOT to do in these circumstances.
The most common and dangerous mistake you can make is trying to make the person in difficulty drink water or eat food. This action risks making the situation worse and causing even more serious damage. When a person is about to choke, the airways are blocked by an object or piece of food.
If you try to make something drink or eat food, you just might further push the blocking object downmaking breathing more difficult or impossible.
How can we help the choking
If you find yourself in a situation where someone is choking, remember to stay calm. Therefore, getting agitated does absolutely no good either for you, who will be the first to provide assistance, or for those who have to deal with this bad inconvenience.
How to perform the Heimlich maneuver correctly. (tantasalute.it)
To help those in difficulty and risk the grave danger of suffocating, we can choose to carry out simple but effective actions.
Call the emergency number immediatelyKeep calm and reassure the person involved. Anxiety and panic can make the situation worse. Encourage the person to cough. Coughing is the body’s natural way of trying to clear the airways. Give 5 pats on the back, in the center of the shoulders, to help the cough escape. Stand behind the person and place one hand on their chest and strike with your palm with the other hand. manovra di Heimlich only if you are properly trained and confident in how to do it correctly. If you are not sure how to perform the Heimlich maneuver correctly, DO NOT improvise. You could cause harm to yourself or yourself.
The Heimlich maneuver, therefore, is essential in such a situation, but how is it put into practice? Perhaps not everyone knows it, but there are some steps that must be followed.
Stand behind the choking person. Make sure he’s standing and you’re stable. Wrap your arms around his waist. Place a clenched fist with thumb pointing in, just above your belly button. With your other hand, grasp your clenched fist and clasp your hands together. Do at least 5 or a series of in and out thrusts. ‘high. This movement will increase the air pressure in the lungs and push the blocking object up, allowing the person to breathe again. Be careful not to apply too much force, especially on frail people or children.