Help a choking a person with the Heimlich Maneuver

Heimlich Maneuver. Though the term might sound unfamiliar, I am sure that many of you have seen this happening in movies where someone has choked on their food and a person performs the Heimlich Maneuver, saves the day and comes out looking like a hero! Jill saving Chandler from choking on gum (in the ATM vestibule) in the TV series ‘Friends’ is one of the most iconic scenes of Heimlich Maneuver. So, if you want to know how to save a choking person, read on.

Heimlich Maneuver is basically abdominal thrusts performed on a person who has choked on their food. This is usually a first aid given by another person but if you have no one around, you can easily do this to yourself too.

Why should you learn to perform Heimlich Maneuver?

When we eat food, it goes into our mouth, through the food pipe and then into our stomach. But sometimes when we are talking or laughing while eating, our food gets stuck in the opening of the windpipe (trachea) and makes it impossible for us to breathe which can eventually lead to death. If you are at a restaurant or at home at your dinner table and a family member, a friend or even if a stranger has choked on their food, there is no time to take them to a doctor in this case. You could literally save a life if you know how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver.

Dr. Siddhant Bhargava, a celebrity nutritionist, explained how to perform Heimlich Maneuver through an Instagram reel.

Here are the steps to perform this first aid:

1. Stand behind the choking person and put your fist 3 inches below their ribcage or 3 inches above their belly button.
2. Bring your other arm around them and wrap it over the fist.
3. You need to put pressure inwards, that is, towards yourself and upwards too.
4. Give 5 such thrusts in succession and if it doesn’t work give 5 more.
5. If there is no one around to help, you can do it yourself too.

Take out 5 minutes of your day and practice this maneuver to help someone and save a life!