The Heimlich maneuver is one of the most effective alternatives to avoid drowning. This is a first aid procedure used when a person is suffocating.. A procedure that does not tend to be taught in schools, but it is important to know it, especially when a person is alone and with no one to help them.

The goal of the Heimlich maneuver is to clear the airways in the event of choking.. A maneuver that causes the patient to cough and expel the element that causes a situation of suffocation. The most common symptoms refer to when a patient is conscious, but their color is bluish.. When you try to cough, you can't do it and you can't speak normally, and when you try to breathe, you hear a whistling sound or a noise that confirms the difficulty in doing so.

How is the Heimlich maneuver practiced?

First of all, in adults, you have to stand behind the affected person. In case the height was not the same, a supplement would have to be used to be at the same height. You must form a fist with your hands and place it at the level of your stomach, compress your arms quickly and move your hands towards the sternum.

Thus, the comprehensions must be repeated until the object or piece of food comes out. As soon as this is the case, the maneuver will be considered finished.. It is also possible to do the Heimlich maneuver yourself, with the same procedures.

It may be the case that the patient vomits, in this case, the ideal is to lie on his side to avoid suffocation. It is important to remember that this is a first aid procedure, so if it is needed, such as the patient losing consciousness, professional help should be sought.

On the other hand, the Heimlich maneuver can also be applied to children and babies, but in a very different way.. In this case, a person should be placed on the leg or forearm, with their face looking down and their head below their feet.. The jaw and head should be protected with one hand to prevent displacement, and with the other, hit between the shoulder blades.. It is not necessary to apply excessive force, as it is possible to cause an injury. Thus, in babies, two fingers should be used to perform compressions in the lower part of their sternum, until they expel the object or piece of food for which they have choked.