Throat obstruction such as choking on a bone from chicken, meat, or fish can be very painful and can be life threatening if it blocks the airwaves. Throat obstruction can cause someone to have difficulty breathing as it is a blockage of the trachea. The trachea can become swollen and tight, so that only a tiny bit of air can pass through. If someone is suffering from this it is important to deal with it immediately.
It is necessary to reduce the pain as quickly as you can and you can try various home remedies before medical intervention is necessary.
Some reasons why people begin to choke is when the trachea is crushed and the tissue inside the trachea begins to swell up. Throat obstruction does not happen very often, but it is great to have some ideas for a solution if it occurs. It is important to know signs of a throat obstruction before trying your home remedy.
Signs of throat obstruction include:
• Wheezing
• Painful swallowing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Vomiting
• Drooling
• Gagging
• Breathing as though there is a whistle in one’s throat
• Pain in the chest
• Pain in the abdomen
• Pain in the neck area
• Blue skin tone in the face from breathlessness
• Unable to speak
Prevention of throat obstruction:
• Chew food thoroughly so you can detect bones beforehand
• Try to pace your eating and eat slower
• Eat smaller portions so you can see what is on your plate
• Avoid eating when intoxicated, or under the influence of any medication etc.
• Avoid eating lying down or sitting in awkward positions
• Ask your host if there are bones in the meal, or if there could be a possibility
• Drink a lot of fluid when eating meals that may contain small or large bones
• Pay attention to what you have on your plate and when eating meals with bones
• Make sure you look at what you are eating as you sample it
Here are some remedies to try if someone has a throat obstruction:
• Try drinking a lot of water or liquids (not alcohol, hot teas or coffee)
• Try five spoonfuls of vinegar if it’s a larger meat, fish, or chicken bone. The vinegar will make the bone more tender and flexible so it can move down through to the stomach
• Crack an egg into a glass and drink it. It might help dislodge the obstruction
• Swallow some bread as it might work to dislodge the obstruction (might take 20 to 40 minutes)
• Try the Heimlich Maneuver (stand behind person with the throat obstruction and place your arms around their waste area. Put one hand in a fist form and grab it with the other hand. Perform a quick upwards, inward thrust so that it causes air to move through the trachea to loosen the bone and have it come out of the mouth)
• Try swallowing some boiled rice if it’s a smaller chicken, meat or fish bone as this could help the bone be weighed down so it can travel into the stomach easily
• Please note: If none of these remedies work at the time, call a doctor immediately
