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Choking (cont.)

Choking Symptoms

If an adult is choking, you may observe the following behaviors:

  • Coughing or gagging

  • Hand signals and panic (sometimes pointing to the throat)

  • Sudden inability to talk

  • Clutching the throat: The natural response to choking is to grab the throat with one or both hands. This is the universal choking sign and a way of telling people around you that you are choking.

  • Wheezing

  • Passing out

  • Turning blue: Cyanosis, a blue coloring to the skin, can be seen earliest around the face, lips, and fingernail beds. You may see this, but other critical choking signs would appear first.

  • If an infant is choking, more attention must be paid to an infant's behavior. They cannot be taught the universal choking sign.

    • Difficulty breathing

    • Weak cry, weak cough, or both


Next: When to Seek Medical Care »

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