A terrifying moment unfolded for a woman when she choked on a lettuce leaf while dining alone, unable to breathe and with no one to assist her.
Yayne Abeba recounted on Instagram the frightening experience, explaining a piece of salad became stuck in her throat, plunging her into a state of panic.
Overwhelmed by the ordeal but guided by an invaluable snippet of information she’d seen online, she shared: “If you’re ever alone and you’re choking on a piece of food, here’s how you can save yourself,” deeming it a crucial “life hack“.
Reliving the fear, Yayne revealed she had faced “something really scary happen”. She retold: “And then I remembered something I saw on YouTube, and it literally saved my life.” Determined to pass on this critical knowledge, she implored others: “I want to share this with you, and I want you to put this in your memory bank for if this ever happens to you.”
Detailing her brush with disaster, she said: “I was eating a salad, and there was a big a** piece of lettuce, and it got stuck in my throat, and I was choking, and I couldn’t breathe. And I was sitting there thinking, ‘Oh my god, is this how I unalive [die]? Is this the end for me? Are they gonna find me in a week with my cat eating my face’?”
In the desperate moments that followed, her recollection of a lifesaving tip surged forth: “Then I remembered, if you are ever choking, perform the Heimlich on yourself by using a kitchen counter or a chair,” she passionately advised.
Yayne recounted: “So you force your body up against it, and it makes you cough out the food. So I did that, and it worked. The Motivational Doc’s little thing that he told me on YouTube just saved my life”. What exactly is the Heimlich Manoeuvre?
The Cleveland Clinic describes the Heimlich Manoeuvre as a crucial first-aid technique for instances of choking applicable to both adults and children.
Also referred to as abdominal thrusts, this method involves making quick, inward and upward thrusts into the abdominal area to expel obstructions. It is a potentially lifesaving procedure but is recommended solely for conscious individuals who are unable to breathe without assistance.
How does the Heimlich Manoeuvre work?
The technique was developed by Dr Henry Heimlich in 1974 after he identified how air trapped in the lungs could be utilised to eject an obstructive item from the oesophagus with abrupt thrusts below the ribcage.
How is the Heimlich Manoeuvre performed on oneself?
As advised by the Mayo Clinic, if you find yourself choking, you should immediately dial 999 for emergency assistance. Subsequently, carry out self-administered abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich Manoeuvre, to attempt dislodging the blockage.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Put a fist slightly above your navel
- Grasp your fist with the other hand
- Bend over a hard surface – a countertop or chair will be sufficient
- Shove your fist inward and upward