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Causes of Choking

  • September 04, 2018
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Choking is the result of mechanical obstruction of airways preventing normal breathing. Choking can be life threatening emergency and can occur at any age. Babies and young children are at higher risk of choking. Following are the causes of Choking:

  • Swallowing or inhalation of foreign object: Children or infants are prone to swallowing the foreign objects like coins, marbles, magnets, etc. This may cause obstruction of respiratory track and needs immediate medical attention.
  • Drowning in water: Near-drowning under water will leads to choking as water in the respiratory track completely obstructs breathing.
  • Anaphylaxis and Food allergies: Allergic reactions can lead to choking due to histamines released during the allergies.
  • Head and spinal cord injury: Head or spinal cord injury can lead to choking either due to blood obstructing the airway or due to lack of muscular control.
  • Neuromuscular disorders: Disorders like Myasthenia gravis (MG), Muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Polio can lead to choking due to week or spasm of muscles.
  • Central sleep apnea: This is a sleep disorder in which the body stops breathing briefly during sleep leading to choking. This may be a repeated throughout the sleep. This is due to any medical conditions affecting the brainstem, spinal cord or heart like stroke, arthritis of cervical spine, congestive heart failure, etc.

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Disclaimer: Don’t follow any suggestions in this article without consulting a qualified doctor

Sources:

1. Choking https://www.emedicinehealth.com/choking/article_em.htm#choking_symptoms

2. What Causes Choking? https://www.healthline.com/symptom/choking

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