Asphyxia is the loss of consciousness or death caused by the interruption of breathing, due to a lack of oxygen in the body or an excess of carbon dioxide in the tissues. The airways of a suffocating person may be completely or partially blocked, so that not enough oxygen reaches the lungs. A total blockage is a medical emergency, while a partial blockage can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation if the person is unable to inhale and exhale properly.
What is suffocation
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The word asphyxia comes from the Greek a, which means negation or privative and sfyesis, whose meaning is pulse, which is explained as "no pulse" or "no pulse". This term is applicable to different conditions, and it can be pathological asphyxia (such as epileptic episodes) or provoked (mechanical asphyxia, perinatal asphyxia, neonatal asphyxia or chemical asphyxia), however, in any of the options the common factor is the impossibility or difficulty to breathe, as well as the rest of the changes that the person undergoes after respiratory distress.
The oxygen found in water or in the air is an element of great importance in living beings, in fact, it is vital for the correct cellular activity. When you are in the presence of asphyxia, the air has too many obstacles to enter the lungs, that is why oxygen is not in the blood that circulates in the body and the person or patient suffers a faint.
Causes of suffocation
Asphyxia is produced by various causes, including the presence of foreign bodies in the respiratory tract, accidentally introduced either through the nostrils or through the mouth (common cause of suffocation in children), failure to swallow solids (choking), inhalation of toxic gases that exist in the air.
As well as, by the penetration of liquids through the mouth or nose (suffocation), squeezing the neck to compress the carotid arteries or the trachea (hanging or strangulation), by suffocation, or a paralysis of the nerve centers that control breathing (failure respiratory system).
Symptoms of suffocation
The interruption of breathing can cause various symptoms, some of them are: the inability to utter words, trouble breathing or having breathing too much noise, making high-pitched sounds when inhaling, having a very weak cough, skin with pale or purple tones and, finally, losing consciousness and lacking any type of reaction when the obstruction could not be relieved.
First aid in case of suffocation
Most suffocation situations can be solved with the early application of first aid that can save the life of the victim. An example of choking treatment for adults is the Heimlich maneuver in case of choking, this consists of wrapping your arms around the person's waist and pressing towards the center of the stomach in order to unblock the airways.
There is also artificial respiration (mouth-to-mouth) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (oxygen bottles, manual or electric insufflators, among others), the latter are found in ambulances and must be used by trained personnel due to the complexity of the life-saving method.
It is important to know that it is not possible to prevent or establish obstacles in the work of health personnel or those subjects who perform first aid, the area must be cleared so that the patient can breathe again and, in extreme cases (such as the case of children), call emergency in the shortest possible time.
If you are suffocating yourself, the first thing to do (although it may seem impossible) is to remain calm because if you go into a crisis, your throat may close more. Another maneuver is to start coughing, since if the obstruction is partial, by coughing hard the object can quickly leave the airways. Another thing that can be done is to get someone else's attention to call 911.
Choking game
This is a game in which a totally intentional fainting is caused to leave an experience of great risk and, therefore, of great danger. The game is known as induced suffocation and is a form of entertainment in which players clasp their hands on their own neck or that of another person to block the passage of oxygen and cause a faint.
characteristics
The game is played by two people, it is rarely individual and the hands, belts, ties, scarves, ropes, etc. are used. The game seeks to interrupt the passage of air for at least 12 seconds to generate hypoxia (fainting or loss of consciousness), this is achieved by exerting pressure on the neck or chest, either of the two options gives the same result.
Consequences
Gambling can cause very serious damage to brain cells, in addition to generating different injuries to the brain that go on to cause severe problems. Some of the closest sequelae are the loss of memory for an indefinite time, the death of certain neurons, seizures, neurological pathologies, difficulty in maintaining concentration, fainting and, in really extreme cases, from a coma to the death of the patient.
This type of game has increased the number of deaths from mechanical asphyxia and the few survivors have been left with different neurological injuries that are quite serious and complicated, but according to studies, most of these deaths are considered as suicide and rarely as homicide in many parts of the world.
