Choking can result in the fatality of the sufferer. It is usually associated with swallowing, but it sometimes has other causes. Technically, it is known as aspiration, and it may occur for several reasons. Certain patients are subject to a higher probability of choking, so they should be treated using the appropriate aspiration precautions at all times.
When people swallow, the food moves through the mouth and down the throat. It is shifted through the esophagus into the stomach. During this journey, it is possible for the food to become stuck, and this may happen for a number of reasons. If the esophagus walls, which contain muscle tissue, are hurt or disabled, normal swallowing is not possible. Thus, any condition that leads to this handicap, even old age, places the person at an advanced risk of aspiration. This is also the case where an object such as food or a toy has become lodged in the esophagus.
Foreign objects, usually food, can cause choking. Weak or disabled muscles are another reason, such as when the person suffers from muscular dystrophy or has had polio in the past. The handicapped esophagus then struggles to move the food as it should. Ordinary injuries, such as a stab wound or muscle sprain, can also encourage choking.
Aspiration may, however, also be due to a lack of oxygen resulting from some other medical condition. Anaemia or lung problems can cause this outcome. The patient will exhibit telltale symptoms, such as shortness of breath, harsh rasping respiration (wheezing), or a bluish hue in their fingernails and lips. These symptoms are not always due to trouble in the esophagus and need the immediate application of oxygen.
Choking is always an alarming event, and it is stressful for those who try to help the choking person too. That is why people who nurse those who are higher risk should inform themselves of the correct measures to use in addressing it, including how to pre-empt possible occurrences. Pre-emption is possible using a range of unsophisticated methods, some of which have been mentioned below.
If a person is at an abnormally high risk of choking, they should always be seated upright when they eat or drink. This necessitates a chair. If the use of a chair is not possible, then an upright sitting position in bed is essential. It is easier to swallow if the person is sitting up. They should remain in that position for at least half an hour after the meal has ended. If the person is sedated, they should only sleep on their side.
Eating should involve the ingestion of small quantities of food at a time. Mastication (chewing) should be slow and thorough. The person must not experience any distraction before they have swallowed the food. In cases where the person is unable to feed themselves, the caregiver must not insert anything into their mouths unless they are entirely alert to what is happening.
The methods described here are effective in the prevention of aspiration if the patient has difficulty eating, either generally or independently. They are uncomplicated precautions that lay people can observe. However, those patients who suffer from partial or total aspiration due to an impaired supply of oxygen in their system require more specific and advanced medical treatment. Where the ordinary caregiver is unable to assist the person, medical help should be obtained without hesitation.
When people swallow, the food moves through the mouth and down the throat. It is shifted through the esophagus into the stomach. During this journey, it is possible for the food to become stuck, and this may happen for a number of reasons. If the esophagus walls, which contain muscle tissue, are hurt or disabled, normal swallowing is not possible. Thus, any condition that leads to this handicap, even old age, places the person at an advanced risk of aspiration. This is also the case where an object such as food or a toy has become lodged in the esophagus.
Foreign objects, usually food, can cause choking. Weak or disabled muscles are another reason, such as when the person suffers from muscular dystrophy or has had polio in the past. The handicapped esophagus then struggles to move the food as it should. Ordinary injuries, such as a stab wound or muscle sprain, can also encourage choking.
Aspiration may, however, also be due to a lack of oxygen resulting from some other medical condition. Anaemia or lung problems can cause this outcome. The patient will exhibit telltale symptoms, such as shortness of breath, harsh rasping respiration (wheezing), or a bluish hue in their fingernails and lips. These symptoms are not always due to trouble in the esophagus and need the immediate application of oxygen.
Choking is always an alarming event, and it is stressful for those who try to help the choking person too. That is why people who nurse those who are higher risk should inform themselves of the correct measures to use in addressing it, including how to pre-empt possible occurrences. Pre-emption is possible using a range of unsophisticated methods, some of which have been mentioned below.
If a person is at an abnormally high risk of choking, they should always be seated upright when they eat or drink. This necessitates a chair. If the use of a chair is not possible, then an upright sitting position in bed is essential. It is easier to swallow if the person is sitting up. They should remain in that position for at least half an hour after the meal has ended. If the person is sedated, they should only sleep on their side.
Eating should involve the ingestion of small quantities of food at a time. Mastication (chewing) should be slow and thorough. The person must not experience any distraction before they have swallowed the food. In cases where the person is unable to feed themselves, the caregiver must not insert anything into their mouths unless they are entirely alert to what is happening.
The methods described here are effective in the prevention of aspiration if the patient has difficulty eating, either generally or independently. They are uncomplicated precautions that lay people can observe. However, those patients who suffer from partial or total aspiration due to an impaired supply of oxygen in their system require more specific and advanced medical treatment. Where the ordinary caregiver is unable to assist the person, medical help should be obtained without hesitation.
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