I’m a doctor – this is what you should do if you start choking on food

Five-time Olympic cyclist from Venezuela Daniela Larreal Chirinos died last week at her Las Vegas home after reportedly choking on food. She was 51 years old.

There were about 5,500 drowning deaths in the US in 2022, the research shows, with the elderly and young children most at risk. Now, an Ohio-based ear, nose and throat surgeon is sharing exactly what to do if you’re alone and start choking while eating.

“Save this post now because it might come in handy if, God forbid, you ever find yourself in that situation,” said Dr. Tonia L. Farmer, who goes by Dr. Nose Best, said in a TikTok this week with more than 4.5 million views.

She advises calling 911, coughing really hard and performing the Heimlich maneuver on yourself.

Call 911

@drnosebest

The tragic story that just came out about Venezuelan cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos. She choked on food and was found 💀 in her flat after her colleagues became concerned when she didn’t show up for work. Between 4,000-5,000 people 💀 from drowning per year. If you are alone and start drowning, it can be very scary. Knowing what to do will help you act quickly. In the video I show you the steps you need to take to save your life. Here are the steps: 1. Call 912 2. Cough really hard 3. Do the Heimlich maneuver 4. Seek immediate medical attention Let me know in the comments if this information was helpful👍🏾 #drnosebest #heimlich #earnosethroat

♬ original sound – Dr. The best nose

“Even if you can’t talk, I still want you to call 911,” advised Farmer. “Put that phone down, keep that line open. The operator will know you need help and they will send help.”

Cough as hard as you can

“If you can talk or you can cough, that means there’s not a complete obstruction and some air is still moving,” Farmer explained. “So try to cough as hard as you can and see if you can get that food to fly out.”

Perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself

“If that doesn’t work, if you can’t cough at all, there’s no air moving, you’re going to do the Heimlich maneuver just like you would on anybody else,” Farmer said. “And there are two ways you can do that.”

The first is by pushing your stomach against a chair or table to try to get food out.

“You want to make sure the chair you’re using doesn’t have sharp edges because you don’t want to cut your stomach,” Farmer added. “You don’t want to cause any internal damage.”

If that doesn’t work, make a fist and insert it in the middle of the abdomen, below the rib cage, just like you would with someone else, Farmer said.

She advises seeking medical help even if you successfully eliminate the food.

“You can call 911 again if they haven’t already. “Now you can call a family member or a friend to help you,” Farmer advised. [to] your internal organs and abdomen, depending on how hard you had to push.”

The Mayo Clinic also recommends bending over a firm surface such as a counter or chair.

If that doesn’t work, place a fist just above your belly button, grab the fist with your other hand and push the fist in and up.