The Heimlich maneuver is a simple but life-saving trick that helps clear a blocked airway when someone is choking. Choking happens when food or a small object gets stuck in the throat, making it hard to breathe.
In those scary moments, quick action can mean the difference between life and death. Sadly, many people don’t know what to do, and choking takes thousands of lives every year, especially among kids and older adults.
Knowing how to do the Heimlich maneuver is super important. Around 5,000 people in the U.S. die from choking each year.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to do it the right way and what to remember if you ever face this kind of emergency.
What is the Heimlich Maneuver?
The Heimlich maneuver is a simple but powerful way to help someone who is choking. It was created in 1974 by Dr. Henry Heimlich and works by pushing hard and fast on the belly, just above the belly button.
This quick movement forces air out of the lungs, helping to pop out whatever is stuck in the throat. It’s used on adults and kids over one year old when they can’t breathe, talk, or cough. For babies under one, different methods like back blows and chest thrusts work better.
While the Heimlich maneuver can save a life, doing it the wrong way might cause injuries like broken ribs, so it’s important to be careful.
When to Use the Heimlich Maneuver
If a person is conscious and choking, you should use the Heimlich maneuver. You can usually tell if someone is choking if they’re unable to speak, breathe, or cough. Ask the person, “Are you choking?” While they may still be able to cough, they may not be able to speak.
In some cases, their breathing may weaken until only gasping sounds are heard. Many people also use the universal choking sign, clutching their throat with both hands.
If the person can still speak, cough, or breathe, don’t attempt the Heimlich maneuver. Encourage them to continue coughing, as a strong cough may dislodge the object.
The Heimlich maneuver should only be performed if the person’s life is at risk. So, before we discuss how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, let’s first recognize the signs of choking.
Signs of Choking
Knowing the signs of choking can help you act fast. Look out for these signs:
- Can’t Talk or Breathe: If someone can’t speak, cough, or take a breath, they might have a serious blockage.
- Grabbing Their Throat: Many people instinctively clutch their neck when they’re choking.
- Turning Blue: A lack of oxygen can make their lips and face look bluish.
- Looking Panicked: Wide eyes, pointing at their throat, or grabbing at their neck are big warning signs.
- Weird Breathing Sounds: If you hear wheezing or high-pitched noises, their airway might be partly blocked.
If you see this happening, don’t wait! Tell them to try coughing. If that doesn’t work, step in and do the Heimlich maneuver right away. Remember, acting quickly can save a life. Now let’s jump to our main section of performing the heimlich maneuver.
How To Perform the Heimlich Maneuver on an Adult
If an adult is choking, the Heimlich maneuver can help them breathe again. Here’s how to do it the right way.
1. Position Yourself
If someone is choking, stand right behind them and wrap your arms around their waist.
Keep one foot a little ahead of the other so you don’t lose your balance. This helps you stay steady when you push.
Make sure the person is standing up straight—it makes the Heimlich maneuver work better.
2. Make a Fist
Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side just above their belly button but below the ribs. That’s the sweet spot.
Now, grab your fist with your other hand and push in and up, fast and strong. This helps force air up through the lungs and can pop the stuck object out.
Hold on tight so you stay in control while doing it.
3. Perform Abdominal Thrusts
Clench your fist and place it just above the person’s belly button, with your thumb facing their stomach. Use your other hand to grab your fist tightly.
Then, push your fist in and up quickly, like you’re trying to force air out of their lungs. This should help push the object out.
Keep doing it hard and fast until the object comes out.
4. Repeat if Necessary
If the object doesn’t come out after the first few tries, keep doing abdominal thrusts. Push quickly and hard with your hands, making sure to press inward and upward.
Keep going until the person can cough, breathe, or the object comes out. If the person passes out, carefully lay them on the ground and start CPR.
Make sure that you always call for help if you haven’t already. Keep going until help arrives.
Performing the Heimlich Maneuver on Yourself
If you’re choking and no one’s around, you can actually do the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. Here’s how:
- Make a Fist: Form a fist with one hand.
- Position Your Fist: Place the thumb side of your fist just above your navel and below your ribcage.
- Grasp Your Fist: With your other hand, grasp your fist firmly.
- Perform Thrusts: Press your fist inward and upward with quick, forceful motions. Repeat this until the object is expelled or help arrives.
Alternatively, you can lean over a sturdy object like a chair or countertop, positioning the edge just above your navel, and thrust your upper abdomen against it to dislodge the obstruction.
If these methods don’t work, seek emergency medical assistance immediately. Even if the object is expelled, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare professional to ensure no internal injuries have occurred.
Performing the Heimlich Maneuver on a Pregnant Women
If you need to help a pregnant woman who’s choking, you can’t use the usual Heimlich maneuver because it could hurt the baby. Instead of doing abdominal thrusts, you’ll need to do chest thrusts. Here’s how to do it:
1. Perform Back Blow
If you need to do back blows on a pregnant woman, first stand behind her and use one hand to hold her chest steady. Bend her over so her head is lower than her chest.
With the heel of your other hand, give her up to five strong back hits between the shoulder blades.
Make sure each hit is hard enough to try and push the object out of her throat. This can help if the thing stuck in her throat isn’t too far down.
2. Perform Chest Thrusts
To give chest thrusts to a pregnant woman, stand behind her and wrap your arms around her for support.
Put the heel of one hand on the middle of her chest, just above her breasts. Then, make a fist with the other hand and hold it. Press quickly and firmly inward and upward. Do this with enough strength to clear the blockage but be careful not to hurt her or the baby.
Keep doing the chest thrusts until the object comes out or help arrives.
3. If the Woman Becomes Unconscious
If a pregnant woman passes out from choking, gently lay her down to avoid any injury. Start CPR by doing chest compressions: put your hands in the middle of her chest, just below her ribs, and push down firmly and fast, around 100-120 times per minute.
After 30 compressions, try to open her mouth and look for anything blocking her airway.
If you can see it, try to get it out. If not, keep doing chest compressions and rescue breaths until help arrives or the choking is cleared.
Performing the Heimlich Maneuver on Toddlers and Children
When a toddler or child is choking, the way you help depends on how old they are. If they’re over one year old, stand or kneel behind them. Put your arms around their waist, make a fist, and place the thumb side just above their belly button. Hold the fist with your other hand and give quick pushes inward and upward. Keep doing this until they cough up the object or help arrives.
For babies under one, you need to do it differently. Hold them face down on your arm, supporting their head and neck. Give five hard back slaps between their shoulder blades.
If that doesn’t work, turn them over while keeping their head lower than their chest, and give five chest pushes with two fingers right below their nipple. Keep switching between back slaps and chest pushes until the object comes out or emergency help shows up.
When to Not Do the Heimlich Maneuver
The Heimlich maneuver is a popular first-aid method to help someone who’s choking. But there are times when it’s not a good idea to use it. Here’s when you should be careful.
1. When the Person Can Speak, Cough, or Breathe Adequately
If someone is choking but can still talk, cough, or breathe, it means their airway is only partly blocked. In this case, the best thing to do is encourage them to keep coughing.
Coughing is their body’s way of trying to clear the blockage. Don’t try the Heimlich maneuver yet, since it might actually make things worse.
But, if the person can’t cough, talk, or breathe at all, it means their airway is fully blocked, and you need to help right away.
2. Infants Under One Year Old
If an infant under one year old is choking, don’t use the Heimlich maneuver because it could hurt them. Instead, try a mix of back slaps and chest pushes.
First, hold the baby face down on your arm, making sure their head and neck are supported. With the heel of your other hand, give five strong back slaps between their shoulder blades.
If the object is still stuck, carefully turn the baby face-up, keeping their head lower than their body, and do five chest pushes with two or three fingers just below their chest.
Keep doing this until the object comes out or help arrives.
3. Pregnant Individuals or Those with Obesity
If you’re helping a pregnant person or someone who is obese and choking, you need to change how you do the Heimlich maneuver.
Instead of using abdominal thrusts, which could hurt the baby or make other health issues worse, you should use chest thrusts.
To do this, place your hands right above their breastbone and push inward and upward quickly. This way, you keep both the person and the baby safe.
4. Unconscious Individuals
If someone passes out because they’re choking, don’t try the Heimlich maneuver. The best thing to do is call for help right away.
Emergency workers will come and take care of the person, using the right tools to help them. Trying the Heimlich on someone who’s unconscious might not work and could even make things worse.
So, just dial for help and let the professionals do their job.
5. Individuals with Partial Airway Obstruction
If someone has a bit of something stuck in their throat but can still breathe, cough, and talk, their airway isn’t fully blocked.
The best thing to do is tell them to keep coughing really hard. It can help get the thing out. You don’t need to do the Heimlich maneuver yet because it might make things worse.
But if they start struggling to breathe, talk, or cough, you should get help from a doctor or call emergency services right away.
Heimlich Maneuver Alternatives
If you’re trying to help someone who’s choking but can’t get around them, or if they’re in a position like lying in bed or sitting in a wheelchair, you might need to try a different method. Sometimes, even after doing the Heimlich maneuver, the object still might not come out.
One option is back blows. Stand behind the person and have them bend forward so they’re almost parallel to the ground. Then, use the heel of your hand to give a few hard hits between their shoulder blades.
Another way is chest thrusts. Stand behind the person just like you would for the Heimlich, but instead of going for the stomach, put the heel of your fist right in the middle of their chest, below the breastbone. Then, cover your fist with your other hand and push straight back to help dislodge whatever is stuck.
How to Prevent Choking
Preventing choking is crucial, especially for young children and the elderly, who are at higher risk. Here are key strategies to minimize choking hazards:
1. Supervise During Meals
It’s super important to watch kids when they’re eating to keep them safe from choking.
Make sure they’re sitting down, chewing their food really well, and not talking or laughing with food in their mouths. Don’t let them run around, play sports, or even ride in the car with gum, candy, or lollipops in their mouths.
Keeping a close eye on them during meals can help keep choking accidents from happening.
2. Proper Food Preparation
Making sure food is safe is super important, especially for kids and older folks. Cut food into small pieces that are easy to chew based on how old someone is and how well they can chew.
For little ones like babies or toddlers, it’s better to mash or chop food into tiny bits.
Some foods can be dangerous, so don’t give young kids stuff like nuts, whole grapes, hard candies, popcorn, raw veggies like carrots or celery, cherries with pits, marshmallows, chewing gum, and other risky foods before they turn 4.
3. Childproof the Environment
Childproofing your home is really important to keep kids safe from choking. Small things like coins, buttons, or little toys should be kept away from them because they can swallow them easily.
Always make sure toys are the right age for your child and don’t have tiny parts that could come off and be a danger.
It’s a good idea to check toys often and get rid of any that are broken or worn out. This helps make sure your kids are safe while playing.
4. Be Mindful of Seasonal Hazards
During the holidays, it’s super important to watch out for things that could cause choking.
Small things like ornaments, tinsel, and even foods like nuts or hard candy can be risky for little ones. Keep these things away from kids to be safe.
Always keep an eye on them during meals or when they’re playing around, so they don’t accidentally swallow something they shouldn’t.
Act Now to Learn the Heimlich Maneuver and Save Lives
If someone’s choking, the Heimlich maneuver can really help. It’s a quick way to push the food or object out so they can breathe again. You do this by giving them a quick push in the stomach. It’s super important to act fast and do it right to keep them safe. Even if they start breathing again, it’s a good idea to get checked by a doctor to make sure everything’s okay. Getting trained in first aid can help you feel ready if something like this ever happens.
FAQs
Why is it no longer called the Heimlich maneuver?
The Heimlich maneuver is no longer commonly referred to by that name due to controversy over Dr. Heimlich’s involvement in its development and subsequent actions. Medical organizations now prefer using “abdominal thrusts” or simply “choking rescue procedures” to avoid confusion and emphasize updated practices.
What are the 4 steps of the Heimlich maneuver?
The four steps of the Heimlich maneuver include: first, assess if the person is truly choking. Then, stand behind the victim and perform abdominal thrusts, placing your hands just above their navel. Finally, repeat the thrusts until the object is expelled or emergency help arrives.
Do you give back blows or Heimlich first?
It is generally recommended to first attempt back blows for a choking infant or child, as it can dislodge objects more effectively. For adults or when back blows fail, the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) should then be performed to clear the airway obstruction.
What are the 5 steps if someone is choking?
If someone is choking, the five steps include: first, determine if they can cough or speak. Second, call for help. Third, encourage them to cough if able. Fourth, deliver abdominal thrusts or back blows. Finally, continue until the object is removed or help arrives.
