If an unconscious person is not breathing, it may be necessary to move them carefully onto their back, while protecting their neck, so that they can receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Call 911 before administering CPR. Signs, such as moving, coughing, or breathing are good signs.

CPR When Someone Has Gasping Breaths For an unconscious patient who isn’t breathing or is gasping for air every few seconds, call 911 and start CPR chest compressions. Hands-only CPR on an unconscious patient who is gasping has a good chance of being effective.

Unresponsive and not breathing. If an adult is unresponsive and not breathing, you’ll need to do CPR (which is short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation). CPR involves giving someone a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths to keep their heart and circulation going to try to save their life.

If the victim becomes unresponsive, call, or have someone call 911. Then provide CPR, beginning with chest compressions. Check mouth for object before giving breaths. Self-treating choking If you are alone when choking, give yourself abdominal thrusts to try to expel the object.

Learn first aid for someone who is unresponsive and breathing

1. Check their breathing by tilting their head back and looking and feeling for breaths.
2. Move them onto their side and tilt their head back.
3. Call 999 as soon as possible.

Deliver five separate back blows between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. Give 5 abdominal thrusts. Perform five abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver). Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

If you determine that the victim is not breathing, then something may be blocking his air passage. The tongue is the most common airway obstruction in an unconscious person. With the victim lying flat on his back, place your hand on his forehead and your other hand under the tip of the chin (Figure 1).

Anxiety or panic attacks can result in a feeling of tightness or a lump in the throat or even a sensation of choking. This can temporarily make swallowing difficult.

Stress or anxiety may cause some people to feel tightness in the throat or feel as if something is stuck in the throat. This sensation is called globus sensation and is unrelated to eating.

The cause of the tightness can vary from an infection like strep throat to a more serious allergic reaction. If you have other warning signs, like trouble swallowing or breathing, throat tightness is an emergency that needs to be treated immediately. Tightness in your throat can take many forms.

When laryngospasm occurs, people describe the sensation of choking and are unable to breathe or speak. Sometimes, the episodes occur in the middle of the night. A person may suddenly awaken feeling as though they are suffocating. This condition is called sleep-related laryngospasm.

Let foods and drinks that are very hot or very cold sit for a bit before eating or drinking them. Suck a peppermint lozenge. Peppermint oil is a smooth muscle relaxant and might help ease esophageal spasms. Place the peppermint lozenge under your tongue.

The following are both common and lesser-known signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Chest pain or discomfort: This can feel painful, but also like pressure, squeezing, fullness, burning, feeling a lump in the throat, a knot in the center of the chest, or an ache.

Symptoms of Tightness in Throat Your throat is swollen or closed up. You find it hard to swallow. You have a lump in your throat. You need to swallow often.

Symptoms

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face or limbs, often on only one side of the body.
• Sudden trouble speaking and understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden dizziness or loss of balance.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.