choking

In medicine, a process that results from an obstruction in the larynx that inhibits breathing. It is usually due to irritation produced by a piece of food or other substance that has been introduced via the mouth. The irritation of the sensitive mucus membrane lining the larynx provokes coughing as an attempt to expel the irritant. If the foreign body is large, the face may appear livid because of partial suffocation.

The choking individual should be encouraged to take slow, deep breaths that do not force the foreign body further into the respiratory tract. If the individual attempts to catch breath suddenly between coughs, the foreign body may penetrate further into the respiratory tract and stimulate further coughing. Blows with the palm of the hand over the shoulder blades, timed to coincide with the coughs, may assist the effect of the coughing. Medical attention is necessary if these methods do not result in the foreign body being expelled. See also Heimlich manoeuvre.