Knowledge that could save your life.

Edwin was at home alone having some lunch. He took a bite from his sandwich and began to swallow when, suddenly, he was unable to breathe. The food had entered his windpipe instead of the esophagus, completely blocking his airway.

Edwin quickly got up, positioned himself behind the chair, and began thrusting his abdomen into the top of the backrest. Fortunately, after several thrusts, his bite of sandwich was forced back up and expelled. Edwin sat for several minutes—his appetite understandably lost, but grateful for knowing how to save his life.

I heard this story from a friend of Edwin, who was teaching a CPR class I attended. The instructor referred to this life-saving technique as the “self-Heimlich.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 5000 people die annually in the US from choking on food or other foreign objects. Based on coroner and emergency data, anywhere from 50–70% of fatal adult choking incidents involved individuals who were eating alone.

Knowing how to administer the self-Heimlich is vital and should be shared with your loved ones. In the following videos, two different techniques are shown, the first of which is a real-life incident.