What to Do When You or Someone Else is Choking

10. How to Prevent Choking

Intoxication is one common reason for choking. Alcohol changes the way our muscles move and can make it difficult to chew and swallow food properly. This can be especially dangerous if a person is alone. Other causes of choking include pieces of food that are too large for an older adult or infant to swallow; lack of jaw coordination may enhance the danger of choking. It is important to monitor these people when they are eating. Infants, especially, have incredibly small throat passages, so food should be cut into small pieces and solids withheld until the proper age.