What is the difference between suffocation and choking

Treatment also depends on the age of the patient. Infant choking is treated differently than choking in adults and children older than 1.

Whether it occurs intentionally or accidentally, strangulation is when anything compresses the neck enough to restrict airflow to the trachea. Then, call An injury to the trachea may not appear to be serious right away, but swelling in the tissues around the trachea can lead to a secondary restriction of airflow a few minutes after the neck is free.

To view the original post click here…. Does that still constitute suffocation? Can a person still be choked even though there is no constriction to the internal part of their throat? There must be a detrimental effect on the breathing of the victim. However, the conduct will still amount to choking even if:. Consequently, the jury was directed to return a verdict of not guilty in relation to the choking charge. Whilst the law in respect of this offence is still developing, these two decisions suggest that a vital element of the offence is the hindering of breath in some way.

If you or a family member are charged with any offence of violence , we recommend that you obtain legal advice from an experienced criminal practitioner as soon as possible. This article is of a general nature and should not be relied upon as legal advice. When a person is choking, some sort of foreign object inside the body is blocking airflow. When someone is being strangled, an outside force is exerting enough pressure to impede movement of air. The medical terminology for choking is foreign body airway obstruction.

The most common cause of choking is food that gets stuck in the trachea. Treatment for choking depends on the severity of the situation—for instance, mild choking may be resolved by encouraging the person to cough forcefully.

Severe choking—when the person can't speak, cry, cough, or breathe—is best treated by giving five sharp blows between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand or by performing the Heimlich maneuver.

Treatment also depends on the age of the patient. Infant choking is treated differently than choking in adults and children over 1 year old. In kids under 1, severe choking—when the person can't speak, cry, cough, or breathe—is best treated by giving five sharp blows between the person's shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, or by using chest thrusts.

The Heimlich maneuver can be used for choking in adults and children over 1. Strangulation occurs when something compresses the neck tightly enough to restrict airflow to the trachea. Strangling cuts off the flow of oxygen to the brain in one or more ways.

Strangulation compresses the carotid artery or jugular veins, resulting in cerebral ischemia. It can also compress the laryngopharynx, larynx, or trachea, causing asphyxia.

It can also stimulate the carotid sinus reflex, causing bradycardia , hypotension, or both. The treatment for strangulation is the immediate removal of the device or object that's impairing breathing.

A medical evaluation is crucial if someone's been strangled. An injury to the trachea may not appear to be serious right away, but swelling in the tissues around the trachea can lead to a secondary restriction of airflow a few minutes after the neck is free. There are three main types of strangulation:. Temporary strangulation can lead to a brief high when oxygen rushes back to the brain. Some people abuse self-strangulation to get this rush.

While it is referred to as a choking game, it is actually strangulation.