Tips for capsules stuck in the esophagus

Capsule-type medicines are very common in our daily life. Many people have encountered this phenomenon, that is, when taking capsules, the capsules get stuck in the esophagus. In fact, you don’t have to worry too much about this phenomenon. If the capsule is stuck in the esophagus, you can eat something, like steamed buns, to bring the capsule down. If it can’t go down, you can drink more water, and it will slowly ease. The capsule can also dissolve under saliva.

1. First aid for choking while eating

(1) Younger people

(1) Small and hard objects. This is what you should do if your baby might choke on candies, small toy parts, etc.

1. Bend one leg, press your knee against the child's heart, face down, and pat the child's back hard.

2. If the baby still cannot spit out the food, hold the baby from behind with head down; press your fist against the baby's heart and squeeze.

3. If you find that you are still having difficulty breathing and your face and body begin to turn purple, please call an ambulance as soon as possible. And give artificial respiration until the ambulance arrives.

(2) Something soft and sticky. Soft and sticky things like rice cakes, soft candies, and even bread can be dangerous for children. This is what you should do when your child chokes.

1. Let your child lie on his side.

2. Ask your child to open his mouth. If you can see something stuck in his throat, use your fingers to pick it out.

3. If you can’t see, you can use your index finger to press hard on the back of the child’s tongue to help the child induce vomiting.

The most effective method is to use the Heimlich maneuver: rapid abdominal compression

This method is also applicable to situations such as asthma attacks and accidental swallowing of foreign objects.

Method 1: Stand behind the baby, wrap your arms around the baby's waist and abdomen, make a fist with one hand, and press the side of your thumb against the midpoint of the line between the heart and the navel. Use the other hand to overlap the fist and squeeze the upper abdomen upward and inward. The squeeze should be quick and forceful, and then release the pressure. Repeat the operation until the foreign body is removed.

Method 2: The baby bends his knees and curls up, facing the rescuer. The rescuer uses his knees and thighs to support the baby's chest, and uses the base of his palms to tap the spine between the shoulder blades four times in a row to expel the foreign body.

If the baby is choking, let the baby lie on the rescuer's knees with his head down, support his chest, and pat his back four times to make the baby cough out the foreign object. Alternatively, you can insert your finger into the baby's mouth and stimulate the root of the tongue to induce vomiting. This is suitable for tracheal foreign objects that are closer to the throat.

When do you need a doctor? When you notice:

1. If your child has difficulty breathing or his face turns blue or purple, please seek medical attention as soon as possible, as a foreign object may have entered the trachea.

2. Severe coughing and gurgling sound in the throat.

3. The child will feel pain when the chest is squeezed. This is most likely due to swallowing a paper clip, glass, or other piece of metal.

(ii) Older people

1. Upper and middle abdominal compression method

If the patient is older, still conscious and able to stand, the rescuer should wrap his arms around his abdomen from behind, with his thumbs facing the patient's upper abdomen, and use one hand to hold the other hand to forcefully impact and compress the abdomen, repeatedly.

2. Cycling and Abdominal Pushing

If the patient falls into a coma, call 120 immediately and make the patient lie on his back. The rescuer should ride on the patient, place the base of both palms on the midline of the abdomen slightly above the navel, and quickly impact the head five times. If the foreign body is not coughed out, repeat the impact several times.

3. Back patting

First, ask the patient to bend over as hard as he can and lower his head as much as possible, then use your palms to pat his back continuously and forcefully to help the foreign body be expelled.

example

If your child is stuck, parents should not take photos randomly

At the end of December last year, on a train from Beijing to Nanchang, a three-year-old boy scooped soft and glutinous eight-treasure porridge into his mouth one spoonful at a time with a small spoon. Suddenly, he threw away the eight-treasure porridge and the spoon, and gasped with his mouth open without saying a word. The parents knew that the child was stuck, so they kept patting the boy's back with their hands. Unexpectedly, the boy who was patted on the back stuck out his tongue, his eyes rolled up, and even his lips turned purple. Just at this moment, the conductor passed by car No. 6 while inspecting. He hurriedly took the child and made him lie face down on his knees below the waist, and hit the boy's back hard with the base of his palm. After just a few knocks, the boy spat out a peanut with blood in it.