Home Remedies for Throat Obstruction

A throat obstruction or choking on a fish or chicken bone can turn a pleasant and enjoyable dining experience to a painful one instantly. Throat obstruction leads to breathlessness because the trachea is blocked, constricted, or swollen shut. This is one such malady that requires an instant remedy to eliminate the pain in the throat as soon as possible. Home remedies are the first to be tried until medical intervention becomes a necessity. Such situations may be rare but it is important to know some helpful and handy hints one can use to relieve a throat obstruction.

Signs and symptoms that indicate a throat obstruction

Here are some signs and symptoms that indicate a throat obstruction: Gagging
High-pitched breathing
Difficulty and pain while swallowing
Vomiting
Sudden avoidance of solid foods
Increased drooling
Pain in the neck, chest or abdomen
Inability to speak
Bluish or purple face color due to lack of oxygen

Food eating habits

There are three reasons why people choke. These are:
Mechanical obstruction
Tissue swelling
Crushing of the trachea

These key causes that lead to a throat obstruction are caused by certain food eating habits that are best avoided. These include:
Eating too fast.
Swallowing food instead of chewing the food.
Eating food despite intoxication by alcohol
Eating food in an unconscious state by inhaling certain materials

Root of Clematis

Home remedies are first sought because of the immediate need to be cured when the throat obstruction becomes painful.

Here is a comprehensive list of home remedies that can be tried in case of a throat obstruction:

Break an egg into a teacup and swallow it whole. It is said that this removes the most difficult obstructions.

Clear the throat by drinking liquids or swallowing bread. This may take approximately 30 to 60 minutes to work. If it does not work try other options or consult your doctor.

If the throat obstruction is caused by a fish bone stuck in the throat, one can try swallowing a lump of boiled rice. The rice is sticky and adheres to the fish bone. The added weight on the bone helps to dislodge it from the throat and it goes into the stomach where it is eventually digested. If rice is not available one can try swallowing bread. This will also have the same effect.

If a larger sized chicken or fish bone is the cause of throat obstruction then gargling with some vinegar is the best alternative. The vinegar helps soften the bone slowly. The bone can then be removed by swallowing rice or bread. The action of vinegar may take some time but it will eventually soften the bone.

Another alternative is the “Root of Clematis”. This is a pale brownish-yellow colored herb which can be obtained from the nearest herbalist. Decoct this herb with vinegar and brown sugar and sip the decoction slowly while it is hot. This helps dislodging the bone and also provides relief from the irritation that is caused in the throat.

One can also try the Heimlich maneuver. Stand behind the person and wrap your arms around his/her waist. Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side of the fist just above the person’s navel, well below the breastbone. Grasp the fist with the other hand and make a quick, upward and inward thrust with your fist. Continue this till the object is removed. This procedure rapidly compresses the lungs and causes the food particle to be expelled.

For obese or pregnant people, wrap the arms around the person’s chest. Place the fist on the middle of the breastbone and make firm backwards thrusts.

Another simple method is to grasp the persons tongue and pull it forward and at the same time try and hook the bone with the finger. Do ensure that the hands are clean before performing this maneuver and wash the hands immediately afterwards as well.

Take plenty of liquid diet

It is advisable to take precautions when eating foods which could provide obstruction to the throat such as fish and meat. It is likely that sharp bones could cause obstruction in the throat. The suggested diet incase of throat obstruction would ideally be plenty of liquids to clear the throat or lumps of rice or bread that will help remove the obstruction.

Some suggestions for throat obstruction

Have every meal with an approach to taste the food and enjoy the dining experience.

It is advisable to avoid eating in haste, which give rise to problems such as throat obstruction and indigestion.