If, like Liz Lemon, you’re afraid of choking when you’re home alone, knowing this procedure might give you some peace of mind — and maybe save your life.
The study, led by Artur Luczak from the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, and published in the journal Resuscitation, suggests two ways you can use gravity to help dislodge a piece of food that’s blocking your airway. The advanced scientific drawing above, from the study itself, shows the two positions that you can try if you think you’re choking and no one is around to help you. The first method is akin to the downward dog yoga position, while the second is best if you have a chair you can use for balance. The upside down position helps remove saliva and other fluids that may further obstruct your airflow while you’re choking, especially if the object is a semisolid. Once you’re upside down, you can try to do back blows and abdominal thrusts on yourself. The procedure is similar to the way infants are treated when they might be choking. You can read more about it at the link below.
Head-down self-treatment of choking [Resuscitation via Popular Science]
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