What It’s Like To Choke To Death

Swallowing Too Much At Once Can Cause A Blockage

The human throat is designed to easily swallow food and liquid. Even if some food or liquid goes down the trachea instead of the esophagus, it can usually be coughed up. There are cases where nerve damage and preexisting medical conditions make choking more common, but for the average person, the body is designed to prevent airways from getting blocked. So, in order to choke on an object, it typically has to be large or have a specific texture.

One of the most choked-on foods in the US is the hot dog. Hot dogs are typically dense and don’t dissolve or break apart when swallowed, causing them to be a potential choking hazard. Solid candies, fish bones, and even toys can be dangerous for children.

Most People Are Unable To Make Any Noise While Choking

While some might imagine choking to be a noisy, violent ordeal, a choking person often makes no noise. Rachel Anne Warren, a writer for Vice, wrote about her frightening first experience choking on a grilled cheese sandwich: “Choking is a quiet ordeal, but it doesn’t feel slow,” Warren explained. “It’s pretty fast, in fact – that is, the dying part is always ready for you when you’re in the middle of it.”

By blocking airways, choking more or less prevents a person from making any sort of distress noise because the larynx can’t vibrate.

The Trachea Begins To Clench Shut

When food gets stuck in the trachea, the body has a reaction that may seem counter-productive, even though it’s trying to save itself. That reaction is called the drowning reflex. When the body senses something coming down the trachea, it reacts as if it’s drowning and closes up to prevent the intake of water.

While this is helpful for drowning, it proves dangerous when choking. The windpipe will then tighten around whatever is obstructing it, making it impossible to breathe.

A Choking Victim May Instinctively Grab Their Throat

Many people instinctively grab their throat when choking. While it’s unhelpful in dislodging food, it can be a way to alert others. In fact, clutching one’s throat is often seen as the universal sign for choking.

Individuals who are choking may also make other hand gestures to get attention, since they are unable to verbally ask for help.

Other People May Not Notice That Someone Is Choking

Choking victims have reported that the people around them often don’t realize that they’re in distress. Some individuals who begin choking feel embarrassed and may try to cough up the blockage on their own.

As choking victim Richard Madeley recounted, “I rose and braced my hands against the edge of the table, instinctively thumping it hard, arms rigid, to try to dislodge the beef. I did this several times, but only succeeded in making people turn and stare at me in irritation.” Madeley went on to say that it wasn’t until he started turning blue in the face that anyone realized something was wrong.

The Throat May Be In Searing Pain

As a person chokes, their throat may begin swelling up around the blockage. Furthermore, attempting to cough up the lodged food can lead to throat pain. Even if a choking person is able to cough up the blockage, it has usually scratched the throat to a degree that swallowing will be painful for several days.

Some people also report feeling as though they still have something caught in their throat due to severe scratching.

Strangulation Can Leave Long-Lasting Injuries

The power of controlling a victim’s next breath makes strangulation a
frequent tactic for abusers. It can take less than 10 seconds for a person to lose consciousness as a result of strangulation, and death can occur in just under five minutes.

According to the
Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention, nearly four in five victims of strangulation are strangled manually (with hands). And almost all, or 97 percent of strangulation attempts, also involve blunt force trauma.

The injury from being strangled cuts deeper, however, to include psychological injury (PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, memory problems, nightmares, anxiety, severe stress reaction, amnesia and psychosis), neurological injury (facial or eyelid droop, left or right side weakness, loss of sensation, loss of memory and paralysis) and even delayed fatality.

What You Can and Can’t See

For those in the survivor’s support circle, spotting strangulation is not easy. Neck lesions are not always present. But, other recognizable symptoms of strangulation can include changes in one’s voice, neck pain, difficulty swallowing or breathing, ear pain, vomiting blood, vision change, tongue swelling, bloodshot eyes, lightheadedness or, in the case of pregnant victims, miscarriage.

During a strangulation assault, the pressure applied to the neck impedes oxygen by preventing blood flow to and from the brain. The trachea can also be restricted, making breathing difficult or impossible. The combination can quickly cause asphyxia and unconsciousness.

While victims of strangulation may never lose consciousness and many regain it after losing it, that doesn’t mean that damage has not been done. Even the temporary lack of oxygen can cause brain damage and other life-threatening injuries.

Nearly three in four survivors in a study by the
Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence did not seek medical attention after being strangled, perhaps out of fear of exposing the abuse or not realizing that without proper medical care, strangulation can lead to death days or even weeks after the attack.

Strangulation as a Homicide Predictor

While strangulation can occur at any time, some
evidence indicates that it may tend to occur later in an abusive relationship. Also, survivors who show signs of strangulation most likely represent a higher risk for major morbidity or mortality.

“Most abusers do not strangle to kill. They strangle to show they
can kill,” says Gael Strack and Casey Gwinn in the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice. However, it is important to realize, “When a victim is strangled, she is on the edge of homicide.”

In fact, a study published in the
Journal of Emergency Medicine found that women who survive strangulation by their partner are seven times more likely to be the victim of an attempted homicide, and eight times more likely to be a victim of homicide.

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How to Survive Strangulation

Law enforcement officers are trained on how to save themselves should an assailant try to choke or strangle them. These tips can be applied to survivors of domestic violence as well. If you’re being strangled:

• Try to stay calm.
• Protect your airway. If possible, try something called the “turtle shell technique” where you tuck your chin down and raise your shoulders up to help support your neck.
• Once released, try to escape from your abuser and call 911 before a second strangulation attempt is made.
• As a last resort, you can try collapsing and going limp, giving the impression your abuser succeeded, in order to hopefully release their grip.

Always seek medical attention after a strangulation attempt, even if you feel like you haven’t suffered any lasting effects. There may be internal injuries that aren’t visible. 

Get help & support for suicide

If you’re in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, find help in your area with Find a helpline.

If you believe that someone else is in danger of suicide and you have their contact information, contact your local law enforcement for immediate help. You can also encourage the person to contact a suicide prevention hotline using the information above.

Learn more about personal crisis information with Google Search.

Google’s crisis information comes from high-quality websites, partnerships, medical professionals, and search results.

Important: Partnerships vary by country and region.

Korea Suicide Prevention Center

Country	Hotline organization	Website	Phone number
Argentina	Centro de Asistencia al Suicida	www.asistenciaalsuicida.org	(011) 5275-1135
Australia	Lifeline Australia	www.lifeline.org	13 11 14
Austria	Telefon Seelsorge Osterreich	www. telefonseelsorge.at	142
Belgium	Center de Prevention du Suicide	www.preventionsuicide.be	0800 32 123
Belgium	CHS Helpline	www.chsbelgium.org	02 648 40 14
Belgium	Zelfmoord 1813	www.zelfmoord1813.be	1813
Brazil	Centro de Valorização da Vida	www.cvv.org	188
Canada	Crisis Services Canada	crisisservicescanada.ca	833-456-4566
Chile	Ministry of Health of Chile	www.hospitaldigital.gob	6003607777
China	Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center	www. crisis.org	800-810-1117
Costa Rica	Colegio de Profesionales en Psicologia de Costa Rica	psicologiacr.com/aqui-estoy	2272-3774
France	SOS Amitié	www.sos-amitie.org	09 72 39 40 50
Germany	Telefon Seelsorge Deutschland	www.telefonseelsorge.de	0800 1110111
Hong Kong	Suicide Prevention Services	www.sps.org	2382 0000
India	iCall Helpline	icallhelpline.org	9152987821
Ireland	Samaritans Ireland	www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help	116 123
Israel	[Eran] ​​ער”ן	www. eran.org	1201
Italy	Samaritans Onlus	www.samaritansonlus.org	06 77208977
Japan	Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology	www.mext.go.jp	81-0120-0-78310
Japan	Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan	www.mhlw.go	0570-064-556
Malaysia	Befrienders KL	www.befrienders.org	03-76272929
Netherlands	113Online	www.113.nl	0800-0113
New Zealand	Lifeline Aotearoa Incorporated	www.lifeline.org	0800 543 354
Norway	Mental Helse	mentalhelse. no	116 123
Pakistan	Umang Pakistan	www.umang.com.pk/	0311-7786264
Peru	Linea 113 Salud	www.gob.pe/555-recibir-informacion-y-orientacion-en-salud	113
Philippines	Department of Health – Republic of the Philippines	doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline	0966-351-4518
Portugal	SOS Voz Amiga	www.sosvozamiga.org	213 544 545 963 524 660 912 802 669
Russia	Fund to Support Children in Difficult Life Situations	www.ya-parent.ru	8-800-2000-122
Singapore	Samaritans of Singapore	www. sos.org	1-767
South Africa	South African Depression and Anxiety Group	www.sadag.org	0800 567 567
South Korea	중앙자살예방센터	www.spckorea.or	1393
Spain	Telefono de la Esperanza	www.telefonodelaesperanza.org	717 003 717
Switzerland	Die Dargebotene Hand	www.143.ch	143
Taiwan	国际生命线台湾总会 [International Lifeline Taiwan Association]	www.life1995.org	1995
Ukraine	Lifeline Ukraine	lifelineukraine.com	7333
United Kingdom	Samaritans	www. samaritans.org/how-we-can-help	116 123
United States	988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline	988lifeline.org	988

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Helpline

Information on the unified all-Russian children’s helpline

0440 8-800-2000-122 .

When calling this number in any locality of the Russian Federation from fixed or mobile phones, children in difficult life situations, adolescents and their parents, other citizens can receive emergency psychological assistance, which is provided by specialists of services already operating in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that provide services for telephone counseling and connected to a single all-Russian number of children’s helpline.

Confidentiality and free of charge are the two main principles of the children’s helpline. This means that every child and parent can anonymously and free of charge receive psychological assistance and the secrecy of his call to the helpline is guaranteed.

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Working hours of the children’s helpline in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation

(as of October 1, 2013)

904 67

900 38 around the clock

9003 8 Arkhangelsk region

9 0038 daily 09.00-22.00

9003 8 Stavropol Territory

90 038 Volgograd region

9003 8 Republic of Tatarstan

900 38 around the clock

9003 8 Ulyanovsk region

9 0016

9003 8 around the clock

900 38 Primorsky Krai

	Name of the subject of the Russian Federation	Working hours of the children’s helpline
	RUSSIAN FEDERATION
	Total
Central Federal District
1	Belgorod Region	Mon-Fri 09.00-21.00
2	Bryansk region	Mon-Fri 09.00-22.00
3	Vladimir region	around the clock
4	Voronezh region	around the clock
5	Ivanovo region	Mon. -Fri. 11.00-20.00
6	Kaluga region	around the clock
7	Kostroma region	around the clock
8	Kursk region	around the clock
9	Lipetsk region	around the clock
10	Moscow region	around the clock
11 90 039	Oryol region	around the clock
12	Ryazan region	around the clock
13	Smolensk region	Mon-Fri 09.00-19.00
14	Tambov region	around the clock
15	Tver region	daily 09.00-21.00
16	Tula region	around the clock
17	Yaroslavl region
18	Moscow	around the clock
	Northwestern Federal District
19	Republic of Karelia	Mon. -Sat. 09.00-18.00
20	Republic of Komi	around the clock
21	Mon.-Fri. 09.00-22.00
22	with Nenets Autonomous Okrug	daily 09.00-17.30
23	Vologda region	around the clock
24	Kaliningrad region
25	Leningrad region	around the clock
26	Murmansk region	around the clock
27	Novgorod region	around the clock
28	Pskov region	Mon-Fri 09.00-18.00
29	St. Petersburg	around the clock
	North Caucasian District
30	Republic of Dagestan	around the clock
31	Republic of Ingushetia 90 039	Mon-Fri 10. 00-18.00
32	Kabardino-Balkar Republic	around the clock
33	Karachay-Cherkess Republic	around the clock
34	Republic of North Ossetia-Alania	around the clock
35	Chechen Republic	Mon-Fri 09.00-18.00
36	daily 08.30-20.00
	Southern Federal District
37	Republic of Adygea	around the clock
38	Republic of Kalmykia	Mon.-Fri. 8.00-17.00
39	Krasnodar region	around the clock
40	Astrakhan region	around the clock
41	around the clock
42	Rostov region	around the clock
	Privolzhsky Federal district
43	Republic of Bashkortostan	around the clock
44	Republic of Mari El	daily 09. 00-20.00
45	Republic of Mordovia	Mon-Fri 08.00-18.00
46	around the clock
47	Udmurt Republic	around the clock
48	Chuvash Republic	around the clock
49	Kirov region	Mon.-Fri. 08.00-17.00 closed 12.00-17.00
50	Nizhny Novgorod Region	Mon.-Fri. 09.00-21.00
51	Orenburg region	around the clock
52	Penza region
53	Perm Territory	Mon-Fri 08.00-21.00
54	Samara region	around the clock
55	Saratov region	around the clock
56	around the clock
	Ural Federal District
57	Kurgan region	around the clock
58	Sverdlovsk region	around the clock
59	Tyumen region	around the clock
60	Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug	around the clock
61	Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug	around the clock
62	Chelyabinsk region	around the clock
	Siberian Federal District
63	Republic of Altai	around the clock
64	Republic of Buryatia	around the clock
65	Republic of Tuva	around the clock
66	Republic of Khakassia	around the clock
67	Altai Territory	around the clock
68	Krasnoyarsk region	around the clock
69	Irkutsk region	around the clock
70	Kemerovo region	around the clock
71	Novosibirsk region
72	Omsk region	around the clock
73	Tomsk region	daily 08. 00-22.00
74	Trans-Baikal Territory	around the clock
	Far Eastern Federal District
75	Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)	around the clock
76	around the clock
77	Khabarovsk Krai	around the clock
78	Amur Region	around the clock
79	Kamchatka Krai	around the clock
80	Magadan region	Mon-Fri 10.00-22.00
81	Sakhalin region	around the clock
82	Jewish Autonomous Region	Mon.-Fri. 09.00-18.00
83	Chukotka AO	Mon-Fri 09.00-22.00, closed 16.00-22.00

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9043 5 Infographics. The principle of operation of a single federal helpline number for children, adolescents and their parents

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12/28/2016

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