Choking on Food

Choking on food is a condition where some food particles get stuck in the upper portion of the air passage. There are two openings at the back of the mouth: the esophagus and the trachea. The esophagus is larger and is used for sending food to the stomach, while the trachea is used for passing air to the lungs. The trachea becomes narrower as it moves down towards the lungs. The epiglottis is a flap that closes off the trachea at the time of swallowing food, thus preventing food particles from entering the airway and the lungs.

Causes of Choking on Food

The major causes of choking on food can be attributed to various eating disorders. A tendency to eat fast, without chewing food properly, is usually the main cause of choking. Eating big chunks of food in a single morsel can also lead to choking on food. Lack of healthy eating habits, like playing or talking while eating, also contribute significantly to choking.

Small children who are below the age of four are prone to choking quite often. This can happen if they try to eat large quantities of food at once. They may also get choked because of eating hard candy. Many of them also have the habit of putting objects like marbles, coins, nuts, etc. in their mouth which leads to choking. In adults, the main cause of choking is incomplete chewing of food. It can be due to talking or laughing with food inside the mouth. Prolonged intake of alcohol or drugs can lower the pace of swallowing of the food. Those suffering from ailments like Parkinson's disease are more prone to choking on food. In elderly, choking can occur because of ill fitted dental work or old age.

Treatment of Choking on Food

Choking on food requires emergency medical attention. As a first aid treatment, the Heimlich Maneuver technique or CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) works best. Stand behind the person choking, make a fist with one hand, with the thumb inside, and place it just below the ribcage of the person. Grasp the fist tightly with the other hand and apply four inward thrusts with it in the upward direction. You can repeat the process till the obstruction comes out. This technique is applicable for both children and adults. It can be performed on infants too. Raise your knees and keep one forearm on it. Hold the baby face down and give gentle blows four times with the heel of the other hand. This can be repeated till the stuck object comes out.

In case the above mentioned techniques do not work, the patient will need to be rushed to emergency medical services. There are trained people who can treat choking with the help of different types of tools. One method is known as intubation, where a breathing tube is inserted into the wind pipe, or trachea, which can remove the particle that is creating the obstruction in the air passage. During the insertion of the tube, if the unwanted obstruction becomes visible and accessible, then it is taken out with a specially designed pair of forceps. In some severe conditions, the foreign substance is taken out with the help of surgical procedures.

Preventive Measures

Research studies have found that infants below the age of one are at a maximum risk of choking on food. It is followed by older people and children. Certain preventive measures can help reduce the occurrence of choking on food. There are some foods that are considered as unsafe and cause more choking in children than any other food. They are: hard or sticky candy, raisins, nuts and seeds, raw vegetables, large chunks of meat, chewing gums, etc. Always serve children food that is soft and easy to chew. Children should not be allowed to play or run around while eating. Attend to the kids when they are eating food. Children under the age of five should not be given any toys with small parts that they can put inside their mouth. During eating, talking and laughing should be strictly avoided by children and adults alike. One should focus only at the task of eating. Never try to eat quickly without proper chewing. Adults should avoid intake of alcohol or sedatives before eating.

Choking on food, occurring over a prolonged period of time, can cause severe damage to the brain and nervous system, due to the lack of oxygen supply. Therefore, in case the preliminary attempts fail to get rid of choking, an ambulance should be called without any delay to prevent further complications.