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Every time I respond to someone choking I wonder what they were eating and why they choked. What I have found out is that anyone can choke on anything. If an elderly person is eating popcorn their dentures can jar loose and cause them to choke. A child eating popcorn in a movie theater can choke when they react to what they see on screen.
Some foods are more likely to cause choking: steak, hot dogs, popcorn, apples, and pork are the leading causes in adults. Peanut butter sandwiches, meat sandwiches, popcorn, pretzels, and potato chips, are the biggest offenders for children. Infants usually choke on cereal going down the wrong pipe. Sometimes the parent places their fingers inside the baby’s mouth to administer medicine causing the infant to choke. You must be extra careful placing anything in a baby’s mouth especially your fingers.
What I have found is that a person can choke on almost anything given the right circumstances. If a person is drinking alcoholic beverages while eating they tend to gulp their food and this can lead to them choking. The more alcohol a person ingests the slower their eating reflex gets.
To a certain extent the same applies to anyone drinking soda and popping hot dogs or popcorn or tortilla chips.
To prevent choking I would advise everyone to chew their food productively before swallowing. Some foods require more chewing than others. You wouldn’t swallow your knuckle would you! Then don’t try to swallow anything that resembles your knuckles no matter how tasty the item might be.
Seriously, if you have a drink with your dinner, then use the liquid to convert the food to a consistency that aids in swallowing it and digesting it too. If you are in a hurry or really enjoy the food you are eating SLOW DOWN and enjoy the taste and consistency of the food instead of gulping it down and losing all the good taste and nutrients that exists in the food.
I hope this article gives you an enlightened look at what causes people to choke. The less people choke the greater the goodness of eating something delicious.
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John has been an AHA Instructor Trainer since 1993, and is involved at all levels of CPR science development and the introduction of various CPR enhancement techniques and equipment. Since retiring from the Port Authority in 2000, he has been actively spreading the news of increased effectiveness of improved CPR teaching and training by attending National and Local EMS conferences and presenting at the annual ECCU conference. In addition, he spends a good deal of time teaching AHA CPR and First Aid to doctors, nurses, PCT''s, EMTs, and security personnel in hospitals, doctors and dentists offices, Professional Trainers, gyms, shopping malls and pharmacies in New York and New Jersey. He also volunteers as EMT- BLS IT with the Woodbridge Township Ambulance & Rescue Squad as Chief of Operations and Training Director.
More articles by the writer
Every time I respond to someone choking I wonder what they were eating and why they choked. What I have found out is that anyone can choke on anything. If an elderly person is eating popcorn their dentures can jar loose and cause them to choke. A child eating popcorn in a movie theater can choke when they react to what they see on screen.
Some foods are more likely to cause choking: steak, hot dogs, popcorn, apples, and pork are the leading causes in adults. Peanut butter sandwiches, meat sandwiches, popcorn, pretzels, and potato chips, are the biggest offenders for children. Infants usually choke on cereal going down the wrong pipe. Sometimes the parent places their fingers inside the baby’s mouth to administer medicine causing the infant to choke. You must be extra careful placing anything in a baby’s mouth especially your fingers.
What I have found is that a person can choke on almost anything given the right circumstances. If a person is drinking alcoholic beverages while eating they tend to gulp their food and this can lead to them choking. The more alcohol a person ingests the slower their eating reflex gets.
To a certain extent the same applies to anyone drinking soda and popping hot dogs or popcorn or tortilla chips.
To prevent choking I would advise everyone to chew their food productively before swallowing. Some foods require more chewing than others. You wouldn’t swallow your knuckle would you! Then don’t try to swallow anything that resembles your knuckles no matter how tasty the item might be.
Seriously, if you have a drink with your dinner, then use the liquid to convert the food to a consistency that aids in swallowing it and digesting it too. If you are in a hurry or really enjoy the food you are eating SLOW DOWN and enjoy the taste and consistency of the food instead of gulping it down and losing all the good taste and nutrients that exists in the food.
I hope this article gives you an enlightened look at what causes people to choke. The less people choke the greater the goodness of eating something delicious.
Vlad Magdalin
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