Venezuelan cyclist with five Olympic victories Daniela Larreal Chirinos died last week in her Las Vegas home after reportedly choking on food. She was 51 years old.

According to research, there were around 5,500 deaths from choking in the United States in 2022, with the elderly and young children most at risk. Now an Ohio otolaryngologist explains what to do if you’re alone and start choking while eating.

“Save this post immediately because it might come in handy if, God forbid, you ever find yourself in this situation,” Dr. Tonia L. Farmer, who goes by the name Dr. Nose Best, said this week in a TikTok with more than 4.5 million views.

She advises calling 911, coughing vigorously, and performing the Heimlich maneuver on yourself.

Call 911

“Even if you can’t talk, I want you to call 911,” Farmer advised. “Put the phone down and keep the line open. The dispatcher will know you need help and will send help to you.”

Cough as hard as you can

“If you can talk or cough, that means there isn’t a complete blockage and there’s still some air circulating,” Farmer explained. “So try to cough as hard as you can and see if you can get the food particles out.”

Perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself

“If that doesn’t work, if you can’t cough at all and there’s no air circulating, do the Heimlich maneuver just like you would on someone else,” Farmer said. “And there are two ways to do that.”

The first option is to press your stomach against a chair or countertop and try to expel the food.

“You want to make sure the chair you’re using doesn’t have any sharp edges because you don’t want to cut yourself in the stomach,” Farmer added. “You don’t want to cause any internal injuries.”

If that doesn’t work, make a fist and press it into the center of your abdomen, under your ribcage, just as you would with someone else, Farmer said.

She advises that you see a doctor even if you have managed to remove the food residue.

“You can call 911 again if they haven’t already. You can call a family member or a friend to help you now,” Farmer advised. “But you should definitely go to the hospital, you should get medical help because your neck or even your internal organs and abdomen could be damaged or injured, depending on how hard you had to push.”

The Mayo Clinic also recommends leaning over a hard surface such as a countertop or chair.

If that doesn’t work, place one fist just above your navel, grasp the fist with your other hand, and push the fist inward and upward.