The article discusses how whacking someone on the back when they are coughing or choking can actually make matters worse. Joseph Martinez, M.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine...
Coughing is almost always due to an irritation of the air passages. When the nerve endings in the throat, windpipe, or lungs sense the irritation, air is reflexively and forcefully ejected through the passageways. Basically, coughing helps keep the airways clear. The most common irritant is muc...
Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking, her stomach pumping repeatedly as if she was trying to vomit something up. She was obviously in real discomfort and could hardly breathe; her sad eyes gazed up at Joanne helplessly. [translate]